Premier Jennifer Smith publicly pledged St. George's will keep its Police station yesterday but Mayor Henry Hayward is demanding clarification.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition urging a replacement be found when the old station closes this year after Government had pledged to set up operations in Southside.

Speaking after the Peppercorn Ceremony in St. George's, Ms Smith said there had been misinformation on talk shows and amongst the public but the Government had not chosen to respond.

She said provision for a new police station in the Old town had been made in the 200002 budget. Ms Smith said: "When Cabinet took a decision to place the East End police station on Southside it was with the agreement that the St. George's police station remain in the town of St. George and be a Police presence in the town of St. George's. I want to sure the public that there is no need to feel that the St. George's Police presence won't be maintained in the town.

"The building is undergoing renovations, when those renovations are completed one will see a Police presence back in that building." She said in the interim the east end division will located at Southside.

"I think the Police Commissioner and all those concerned, certainly the members for St. George's are well aware of these plans which were taken at the outset as a Cabinet decision."

However, St. George's Mayor Henry Hayward, who has campaigned for the station to stay, said he hadn't been made aware of the decision.

"At the present time I haven't been told anything other than the station will be relocated to Southside. I need an explanation."

Mr. Hayward said it was unclear what sort of Police presence would be kept on in St. George's, which has been hit by crime recently with cars being torched and Police vehicles attacked.

The Premier failed to respond to faxed questions from The Royal Gazette asking whether the bulk of the 46-strong east end force would be stationed in Southside or St. George's.

Opposition Home Affairs spokesman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin chided the Premier for not calming fears sooner.

She said: "When residents first started their cries for a station to remain in St. George's, Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister stated emphatically that it would not happen. The station was going to Southside."

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said the Premier had only acted after public pressure, co-ordinated by Senator Kim Swan, and Mayor Hayward's speech earlier at the Peppercorn Ceremony highlighting the need for law and order.

She said: "If it were always the intention to retain the station in St. George's, why would the Mayor not know?

"I don't know how long the Premier will try to play the St. George's residents for fools, but I sincerely believe St. George's residents are tired of being kicked around like a football."

The Premier's statement contrasts with those made earlier by her Government.

Government's Senate leader Colonel David Burch told the Senate in March that there would be no funding made available to provide a 24-hour Police station in St. George's once the present station closed down. Sen. Burch said it did not make sense to have a new Police station at Southside and a second one across the water at St. George's

Mr. Lister said in the April 6 edition of The Royal Gazette that Government was sticking with the decision to close down the full-time station in the Old Town and build a new station at Southside.