AN OFFICER at the region's newest police station is having to arm himself with a government licence before taking a rare band of fugitives into custody.

For while his colleagues in Durham Police celebrate the official opening of Peterlee's £2m police station today, PC Mick Hayton will be literally going down the drain.

As the division's wildlife liaison officer, his mission will be to keep watch over a water pipe where a group of wayward great crested newts are languishing in a pool of murky water.

A protected species, the amphibious rarities normally dwell in a pond on the edge of Castle Eden Dene, next to the new police station.

But for reasons best known to themselves, and on the eve of the official opening of the police station, the wayward newts have ventured from their natural home.

The newts, which are between four and six inches long and are black with a bright yellow to orange underbelly, have made their way from the pond to the police station car park, where, one by one, they have plopped down an open drain.

Accompanied by a number of common newts, four great crested have already been rescued by licensed experts from Castle Eden nature reserve - but 15 of their relatives have perished.

"There are between two to four coming down to the drain each day, but until I can get a licence I can only keep a watching brief," said PC Hayton, who is forgoing today's festivities to maintain his drainside vigil.