FOUR Birmingham police stations are set to close to the public outside office hours in a plan condemned as “lacking in human sentiment and sympathy”.

Stations in Aston, Handsworth, Harborne and Kings Heath will see their current around-the-clock opening slashed to just eight hours between 10am and 6pm.

They are among 12 stations across the West Midlands, including Halesowen, Stourbridge, Dudley, Wednesfield, Bloxwich, Willenhall and Chelmsley Wood, that will see opening times cut as the force looks to find £126 million savings over four years.

External telephones will instead be fitted to the stations to allow public access to call handlers when front offices are closed.

Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson said the West Midlands force needed to “modernise its approach” to policing.

But the plan was condemned by former city councillor Mike Olley, who is bidding to become the first elected West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

He described the move as lacking in “human sentiment and sympathy” and accused police chiefs of failing to properly consult the public.