THE country’s first emergency services quad station in the UK is now open for business.

The Barnard Castle hub, housing fire, police, ambulance and mountain rescue services, is the first of its kind and cost £3.78 million.

The state-of-the-art facility has been built on the site of the existing fire station, in Wilson Street, which was demolished last year.

And yesterday, representatives from all four services came together to mark the new partnership ahead of an official opening later this year.

Spread over three floors, the facility offers all the latest gadgets and its new communal areas allows staff to work more closely together.

The fire service are also benefitting from a new fire training tower and gym.

A brand new defibrillator has also been attached to the front of the building after money was donated by the drugs firm, GlaxoSmithKline.

The police’s neighbourhood inspector for Teesdale and Weardale, Kevin Tuck, said the facility was a fantastic addition to the town and would safeguard policing in the area for at the least the next 50 years.

He said: “It’s important that people know where we are and that we’re open for business and for me, it gives the force an opportunity to release the asset of the old police station.”

Insp Tuck said the old police station, in Harmire Road, had become dated and inefficient since it was built in 1977.

One prized possession that did make its way over to the new building though, was the station’s original portrait of the Queen, which now hangs proudly behind the front counter.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service’s district manager for Wear and Tees, Adam Hall, said: “It’s fantastic everyone being under one roof as we can work more closely together in terms of response and training.”

Steve Owers, team leader at the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team, added: “It’s all about building up relationships with people you are going to work with and we are especially lucky because we are a voluntary organisation - there’s no way we could afford something like this on our own.”

The North East Ambulance Service’s clinical ops manager for the south division, Alan Potts, also praised the community for their positive response to the building which had originally been objected to by residents and town councillors because of its location.

About 150 residents from the neighbouring streets have also been invited to a special open day on Saturday to have their own tour of the new facility.

Insp Tuck added: “We want to give them the assurance that we want to be good neighbours and support our neighbours.”