Watford's police response times have improved since moving to the new George Street station in December, according to new figures.

The former station on Shady Lane was retired on December 2023 due to economic reasons.

Now records indicate a faster arrival at emergency scenes and incidents requiring rapid intervention over the past three months.

Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: "I’m really pleased that the new Watford police station is going from strength to strength, and I hope the news that response times have improved since the move reassures members of the public.

"Our response times in Watford have consistently been amongst the best in the county for many years, but I understand there were some concerns that being close to the ring road might be a hinderance.

"It’s positive therefore to see these have not only been maintained but actually improved further, showing our move has not impacted on our responses to emergency incidents."

From December 1, 2023 to March 23, 2024, the response times for officers to reach emergency incidents within 15 minutes has risen by 4.3 per cent, representing a total of 94.6 per cent response rate, which surpasses the rate from the same period last year.

The reaction to incidents requiring a police presence within an hour has jumped by 7.8 per cent, bringing the overall total to 80.5 per cent.

One major factor for the improved times could be the new building's proximity to the town centre as it's significantly closer to the High Street than the old Shady Lane location.

Watford Chief Inspector Andy Wiseman said: "Since settling into our new station, it’s really encouraging to see our figures improve.

"We will continue to do our utmost to get to every incident as quickly as we can and provide the best possible service to our local communities."