Custody suite in Salisbury to close permanently

The Wilton Road police station in Salisbury was temporarily closed last June

A new police custody suite will not be built in Salisbury, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has announced.

Wiltshire Police said it was looking into the feasibility of a second unit in the Warminster area, instead.

It currently operates two units in Swindon and Melksham but will also be looking into closing the Melksham site.

Wiltshire's PCC Angus Macpherson, said the "heavy costs" of three units could not be justified and a second suite needed to be in an "optimum location".

According to the police, the three custody units in Swindon, Salisbury and Melksham, were costing "in excess of £4.5m a year to run".

Last June - in a bid to make £3m of cuts - the Salisbury unit was temporarily closed.

Now, following a review of the county's "custody needs", the Salisbury unit looks set to remain closed while Melksham could also face losing its custody suite.

"We are tied in contractually to the custody unit in Swindon because it was built under the Private Finance Initiative," said Mr Macpherson.

"That means we need our second unit in Wiltshire. We have agreed to carry out a feasibility study on the Warminster area because of its geographic location and the quality of transport links.

"The present custody unit in an estate on the outskirts of Melksham does not have that."

A feasibility study is due to begin in July and run through to the end of this year.