The Reporter has learned that the force is considering combining L Division - West Dunbartonshire and Argyll - with K Division, which covers Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

The merger would mean policing in Dumbarton and the Vale would be run from Paisley and would create one of the largest regional policing districts in Scotland, serving almost half a million people and stretching from Islay to Glasgow Airport.

The area's MSP Jackie Baillie condemned the plan claiming it would hit local policing.

She said: “This merger will have a profound effect on the future of local services and cannot be brushed aside or dismissed as an ‘operational matter’.

“It is simply unnaceptable that this can be allowed to go ahead without any public consultation and the fact that this change has been communicated to our community via a press release speaks volumes about the breathtaking arrogance of Police Scotland.

“Police Scotland must explain the decision-making process and the reasons behind this announcement. The next meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board is on 17 December and it doesn’t appear that they were even consulted about the change.

“Just who are the police accountable to?

“This is the latest in a long line of cuts and closures affecting services in Dumbarton, Alexandria and Helensburgh.

“We used to have the traffic police based at Garshake and earlier this year we saw desk closures and cutbacks at police stations in Dumbarton, Alexandria and Garelochhead.

“Last year I warned that the thin blue line was getting thinner. Now that we know Police Scotland is planning to close its Dumbarton HQ, how much longer will it be before there is an impact on local policing?” She said she was writing to SNP Justice Secretary Michael Matheson to ask for urgent intervention.

West Dunbartonshire MP Gemma Doyle said:“It is absolutely ludicrous that this merger is happening without any consultation whatsoever.

“Local people will quite rightly be angry about jobs being moved out the area and the impact on local policing and their safety."

A Police Scotland spokewoman confirmed “early discussions” were taking place about a potential merger of the two divisions.

Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said, “The shape of our divisions will evolve as we keep our structures under view.

“The early discussions will now begin on these two local proposals and it is essential that we engage with staff and external stakeholders to test locally that the benefits proposed are both supported and understood.

“The main drivers for us will always be the delivery of better targeted local policing; improved access to local policing, improvements to the quality of policing service; and a policing service which is more sustainable and cost effective.

“Our focus is on keeping people safe and local policing is the foundation stone on which Police Scotland is based.”