A £500,000 purpose-built ambulance station has been officially opened.

The chief executive of County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority, Ken Jarrold, opened the station at the Fulcrum Centre, in Acklam Road, Middlesbrough.

It replaces the station that was on the Middlesbrough General Hospital site.

Staff were involved in the design and layout of the building, which incorporates four heated garages with electrically operated doors, a rest-room, kitchen, locker room, showers and offices.

Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas) chief executive Jayne Barnes said: "With the redevelopment of the hospital site, it was a case of having to move.

"Although it served us well, the old station was nearly 50 years old. The new site is well-placed in terms of our response-time targets, and we have taken every opportunity to provide a modern and comfortable base for our staff.

"They have been part of the project team and have been consulted at every stage."

It is the first ambulance station on Teesside since it became part of Tenyas in 1999.

The project was financed from the sale of the former station and by County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority.