A SENIOR civilian police manager has apologised to a Christchurch man whose attempt to do good was arrested by early closed doors at the town's police station on Monday afternoon.

Concerned about an apparently abandoned mobility scooter he spotted on the Barrack Road recreation ground, Robert Thomas crossed the street to report it to the police station opposite.

But although it was only around 4.30pm he found the doors closed and he claims staff inside ignored his calls.

And when he tried a side entrance at the building he was told that he would have either to use a phone outside the station to call Bournemouth or ring them from home.

Mr Thomas later tried to contact Bournemouth police station but says his call was cut off by the operator.

"The fact that Christchurch police station wasn't open is ridiculous and even worse, people in there were not willing to do anything," he said.

"It leads me to think why should we be good citizens when the police are not prepared to listen?"

Dorset police head of support for the East Dorset division, Richard Hicks, said Christchurch police station was normally open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, but due to a sudden staff sickness it was not possible to man the inquiry desk after 4pm on Monday.

He said: "This was very much a one-off. I am very sorry."

Mr Hicks, who has contacted Mr Thomas to explain the situation, said that even when the enquiry office at Christchurch police station was closed callers could use a free public phone outside to make routine or emergency calls.