Newby Wiske Hall: Former police force HQ finally sold

North Yorkshire Police's ex-HQ at Newby Wiske Hall was originally built in 1684

The former headquarters of North Yorkshire Police has been sold for £2.5m, it has been confirmed.

The sale of the Grade II-listed Newby Wiske Hall was completed on Thursday, the county's police watchdog has said.

PGL, a company providing educational activity courses for schools and young people has bought the 17th Century manor house, south of Northallerton.

Philip Allott, North Yorkshire's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said he was "delighted" at the sale.

PGL actually agreed to purchase the property in 2017 and a 10% deposit was paid, but legal issues delayed the sale.

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The North Yorkshire force moved its office to Alverton Court, a former government office in Northallerton, the same year.

The sale had taken "much longer than anyone hoped", said Mr Allott.

The move to a new headquarters, with Northallerton Police Station and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service HQ also based in the same building, had saved taxpayers up to £1.1m a year, according to a statement by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Allott added: "Moving North Yorkshire Police from a historic building to a modern headquarters was the right decision which has helped transform the way the force works, allowed us to bring more services together in one place and, ultimately, has improved the service to our communities."

Newby Wiske Hall was opened as a district police training centre in 1954 and became the North Yorkshire force's headquarters in 1976.