A POLICE force is starting the move from its old headquarters to a new £15m base.

Durham Constabulary has been handed the keys to its state-of-the-art HQ by builder Kier Construction.

It has been built on the Atkley Heads area of Durham City - a short distance from its 1960s-built old HQ which had become too expensive to maintain.

The building will be home to 600 staff and several departments.

Chief Constable Mike Barton and the County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner, Ron Hogg, inspected the facility before receiving the keys.

Mr Hogg said: “As with any new property purchase, before taking hold of the keys I did one final inspection to make sure everything is perfect, and I’m happy that we have a building of an extremely high standard.

“We’ll be starting to move staff in over the coming weeks and we have a strong plan in place to make sure that this is done with as little disruption as possible, so people can be assured that the high levels of service they have come to expect from Durham Constabulary will be maintained during this time.”

Mr Barton commented: “The existing building had become a significant drain on resources and the new build will represent a big step forward for us in terms of managing the cost of our estate.”

An official opening ceremony will be held in due course.