POLICE have boosted their coffers to the tune of more than £1.5m after finally selling a redundant station.

The old police station in Harrogate, on North Park Road, has been disused since last summer when a new local base was opened at Beckwith Head Road.

In early March it failed to sell at auction when the bids fell short of the £1.9m reserve by £500,000.

However police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan has now accepted an offer of an unconditional £1.55m with a further £350,000 should planning permission be granted – giving a potential total of £1.9m.

Although the station failed yo reach its reserve at the auction there was a great deal of interest from prospective buyers and negotiations have been continuing since then.

And Mrs Mulligan said the income the force would receive was in line with their expectations.

“Ensuring North Yorkshire Police is fit for the future is one of my key commitments, and this offer for the old police station on North Park Road is very welcome news,” she said.

“We now have an empty building which can be developed into something useful for Harrogate residents, as well as capital funds which North Yorkshire Police can reinvest into its estates programme meaning improved services for the public.”