HAMPSHIRE crime commissioner Donna Jones is pulling her office from Winchester amid a wide-ranging restructure of her staff.

The Conservative politician said the move to Fareham and change in staff will save around £700,000 a year.

Mrs Jones said she inherited her current upmarket office in St George's Chambers in Winchester when she was elected.

It costs £228,000 a year and was used by former commissioner Michael Lane before Mrs Jones was elected in May last year.

Her new office will cost £65,000 a year with 'on costs of £97,000,' Mrs Jones said.

She said: “When I was elected a Police and Crime Commissioner, I made a clear and resounding pledge to save money and drive out inefficiencies in order to employ more police officers to keep people safe. 

“I have started that process already with savings that will total approximately £700k a year."

She added: “These are significant savings and will be ploughed back into policing services and crime prevention – exactly what the public quite rightly expect from me.” 

Management roles and operational functions have been reorganised in a bid to make her office 'leaner'.

Her new office will be off junction 10 of the M27 in the Long Barn Building.

The team will move by summer this year.