A PETITION signed by 1,467 people who campaigned for St. George's to keep its police station has been credited with pressurising the Government into a U-turn.

Opposition Senator Kim Swan, the driving force behind the petition, said the petition had shown "demonstrable feeling" that the Government could not ignore.

The gathering of signatures stopped two weeks ago after Premier Jennifer Smith denied there had never been plans to close the Old Town's police station and said it was in fact being renovated for continued use by the police. In the interim, the Premier said the East End division would be based at Southside.

Her statement marked an about-turn in Government policy and contradicted previous statements by Senate Leader Col. David Burch and Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister, who had indicated the St. George's station would close.

Public feeling against the Government's original plans grew in recent weeks, fuelled by violent incidents in St. George's, including mini-riots and the torching of two cars.

Sen. Swan said he and Henry Hayward, the Mayor of St. George's, had received no further clarification on precisely what the new plans were for policing of the east end, so he believed it was still important to hand in the petition.

Works & Engineering Minister Alex Scott has promised a joint statement with Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith soon on the future of the station.

"The petition has shown a demonstrable feeling towards the need for a continued police facility in the town of St. George's and we will hand it in to remind the Government of this, because I think they need to be reminded," said Sen. Swan.

"The number of people who have signed it has demonstrated that this feeling is across the board and is bipartisan, right across the community.

"I'd like to stress this has nothing to do with St. David's - that is a growing community with its own policing needs. The Government has to look comprehensively at the policing needs of the whole island."

Retired police inspector Custerfield Crockwell, who was stationed for four years at St. George's as a sergeant, was among those who signed the petition.

"I know how important it is to have a police station in the town and not a substation," said Mr. Crockwell. "We have two prisons, two banks and right now, two cruise ships in St. George's, plus the residents, the tourists and all the shops."

Having a main east end station at St. David's could lead to serious practical problems, added Mr. Crockwell.

"We need a full station in the town, so the police are on hand when anything happens," he said. "What if some poor people are getting beaten, raped or robbed and the Swing Bridge is stuck open. The police would have to wait for the road to open again. Somebody's life could be at stake."

Concerned St. George's resident Gregory Burrows agreed with Mr. Crockwell's sentiments and added: "We have to have a full police station in the town. If the police station they have now isn't good enough, they should relocate to the youth centre. We need our police station to deter people from committing crime. We just want the Government to leave things the way they are."