Helston Police Station will be closed by 2019 as enforced savings of at least £29 million push Devon and Cornwall Police to cut services still further.

Redruth, St Ives, the Truro police shop front and Camborne traffic centre are all on the list of 34 stations to be closed across the two counties in the next five years, with the police aiming in most cases to build smaller, more cost effective facilities or share facilities within their communities.

In an announcement from the office of Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg, the force said none of the sites being closed are currently open to the public, and the closures or lease surrenders would make revenue savings of just over £1 million a year.

The force blamed the cuts on the government’s comprehensive spending review and possible financial losses from the Home Office’s "unfavourable" funding formula, and with the potential for up to £54 million in eventual cuts, more station anouncements could still be announced.

Andrew White, chief executive for the PCC, said: “Both the commissioner and chief constable are clear - given the choice they always prefer to spend money on police officers rather than bricks and mortar.

“For some months we have been considering how best to reduce our estate, to reduce costs and create income whilst still maintaining an effective base for operational policing.

“Until recently the plans were based on us having to make £29m worth of savings but we are now expected to make an additional £25m savings – bringing the total to £54m.

“We are comfortable that the plans announced today will have little impact on operational delivery but, if £54m cuts become a reality, I would expect this will mean closures of other sites and a significant reduction in the services that can be delivered.

In 2016 to 2017, Camborne Traffic Centre will either relocate to an existing police site or move into a "potential partnership co-location," while the lease on Redruth Police Station will be given up with plans for a "community base" - essentially a small office with IT access. The Truro shop front services will be relocated to Truro Police Station.

Between 2017 and 2018, St Ives Police Station will also be given up for a community base, and in 2018 to 2019, the Helston will go the same way.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: “As a force we face challenging budget reductions set by the government and the subsequent need to reduce our workforce over the next four years. It is only right that we review our estates and only keep those buildings that are not in need of significant modernisation and those needed to ensure we can continue to deliver a professional police service.

“We are planning for the future by dispensing with buildings which are costly in terms of maintenance while investing in newer and more efficient premises where needed.

“We are not removing ourselves from our communities, we are being more efficient and organised around where we base our people to ensure we continue to deliver the best service we can. Police officers and staff solve crime and keep our communities safe, not buildings.

“The vast majority of frontline officers already spend their time out in communities either responding to incidents or engaging with the public. Our police stations are primarily used as a base for officers to work where they can carry out administrative duties, receive briefings and access welfare and hygiene facilities.”

The PCC is currently preparing to launch a public consultation about how much people would be prepared to pay towards policing through their council tax.

The chief constable is also planning to ask the public about the nature of policing delivery in the future.