New Metropolitan Police HQ announced as Curtis Green Building

The new headquarters for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has been announced by the London force.

The Met will leave New Scotland Yard (NSY) in Victoria and move to the smaller Curtis Green Building on Victoria Embankment in 2015.

It said remaining at its current base would require £50m to update and modernise it.

Architects from around the world have been invited to submit designs for the new headquarters.

Specification for the competition, which is being run with the Royal Institute of British Architects, includes transforming the Curtis Green Building into a "modern, well equipped and efficient new headquarters fit for the 21st century".

'Pop-up' cop shops

The new headquarters will be known as Scotland Yard and will continue to have the revolving sign outside.

The move from NSY to the former Whitehall police station is part of a plan to sell off about one third of the Mayor's Office of Policing and Crime (MOPAC) estate by 2016.

MOPAC currently owns about 500 buildings but has considered selling up to 200 of them including police stations, patrol bases and traffic garages.

Police stations in Richmond, Willesden Green, Highbury Vale, Walthamstow and south Norwood have already been approved for sale.

As part of the property cutbacks, the force is considering providing the service through schemes including co-locating with the fire service and local authorities, manning "pop-up" desks in supermarkets and using post offices.

But it has also confirmed each borough will have at least one 24-hour police station available throughout the year.

Deputy Commissioner of the Met, Craig Mackey, said: "This is the most significant transformation of the police estate in the history of the MPS.

"The changes proposed will help us save on running costs and sell properties that are no longer required, allowing us to invest in modern facilities fit for our officers, staff and the public."

The deadline for expressions of interest in the competition is 4 June.