POLICE are remaining tight-lipped about the future of St. George's Police Station after a rumour surfaced in the East End that it was - after all - to be closed down for good.

A source called this newspaper with information gleaned from a police insider, who said he had seen a memo from Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith that stated that St. George's station staff were to relocate to Southside and that the station would close.

After a public outcry forced an apparent policy U-turn earlier this year, the Government promised that the station would be renovated and would remain in use by the police.

Police press officer Robin Simmons released a statement in response to questions about whether the rumours about the memo were true or false, when the renovation of the St. George's station was due to be completed and whether a temporary building of some sort would be used as a station while renovations were taking place.

The statement read: "The Commissioner of Police continues to work very closely with the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety and the Ministry of Works & Engineering with respect to the Southside station project and the St. George's Police Station.

"A level of detail is involved that procludes further comment at this point."

The future of the station has become something of a political hot potato since the Government apparently changed direction on its original plan to move the police out of the ageing station on York Street into a more modern facility at Southside.

Around 1,400 people signed a petition in support of keeping the Old Town station in a campaign staged against the backdrop of rising crime in the area.

In April, at the Peppercorn Ceremony in St. George's, Premier Jennifer Smith said the Government planned to renovate the station and keep a police presence in the building.

This was in stark contrast to public statements previously made by Labour, Home Affairs & Public Safety Minister Terry Lister and Government Senate Leader Col. David Burch, who had seemingly made it clear that St. George's would lose its station.

Henry Hayward, the Mayor of St. George's, who has campaigned vociferously for the station to be kept open, said he had received no update about the timetable for renovation or any other details.

"I have heard nothing whatsoever from the Government or from the police," said Mr. Hayward last week. "Going by what the police and the Premier have said in the past, there will continue to be a 24-hour police presence in St. George's.

"I have had numerous meetings with different bodies relative to keeping a police station here full-time.

"I've had meetings with the police regularly to discuss incidents that have gone on in St. George's and as far as community police on the beat are concerned. I have had no meeting with Government."