A TORY campaigner hoping to become the next West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has promised to bring a new police base to Stourbridge in the former CAB offices - two years after the idea was first unveiled.

The plan has been talked about since the historic Stourbridge Police Station in New Road was closed as part of cost-cutting measures in 2017 and two years ago today (April 15) it was confirmed a scheme was afoot to turn the old CAB building in Market Street into a new base for police officers to help return a police presence to the town.

The hopes of turning the empty Citizens Advice Bureau offices, which are owned by Dudley Council, into a dedicated base for the police were unveiled when the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid visited the town. But little has been said publicly about it since.

Stourbridge Town councillor Steve Clark said residents and traders have been "desperate to have a police base back in Stourbridge" and Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb has said: "As residents return to our High Street, it's crucial the police presence also increases."

And today (Thursday) Jay Singh-Sohal, who is the Conservative candidate for the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner role, took to Twitter with a vow to open a police base in the town, in the former CAB offices, if elected on May 6.

He said he had seen paperwork suggesting the police would be able to use the building rent free and he said: "I will deliver a new police base in Stourbridge along with more neighbourhood police officers to get crime down.

"From speaking to residents and local MP Suzanne Webb, I know a local police base in Stourbridge will increase confidence in policing and help tackle crime. The Labour PCC promised this in October 2019, signed the paperwork but has not even been able to deliver a rent-free base."

The News, however, has been told today that no lease has ever been signed for the former CAB building and it is unclear what condition the building is in.

Dudley Council confirmed 'an agreement for a lease' was signed by West Midlands Police in March 2020 but the force had subsequently terminated the agreement and the building remains in council ownership.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (currently Labour's David Jamieson who is standing down on May 6) has not yet responded officially to a request for comment but a spokesman for the commissioner's office indicated taking on the building was going to cost much more than originally anticipated.

Suzanne Webb MP said the failure to utilise the CAB offices had been a “huge missed opportunity” and she said: “I am angry we could have continued to have a cost-effective police presence in Stourbridge since the closure of the police station in 2017.

“Local people tell me all the time they want to have officers in the town and I pledged to push for this to happen.

“The Labour PPC candidate now needs to tell the people of Stourbridge why this could have happened at any time over the last four years but it didn’t.”

Labour's candidate in the forthcoming election Simon Foster has been contacted for comment.