Northumbria £37m police station step closer

Plans for a £37m, 50-cell police station which will replace two old buildings have been approved.

Northumbria Police has paid £5.5m for a site on Forth Bank in Newcastle city centre for the new development.

The authority plans to close the 1930s Pilgrim Street and 1960s Market Street stations and bring officers together on one site.

The existing Kings House building at Forth Bank will be restored and the station is due to open in 2013.

Councillor Mick Henry, Chairman of Northumbria Police Authority, said: "We have been aware of concerns at the insufficient custody facilities at Pilgrim Street for some time.

"In fact, we have been engaged on a long search for a suitable site that would allow us to bring police facilities to the city centre on to a single site within a modern building."