A NEW police office was opened yesterday in the heart of a former pit community.

Willington's police team has a new home on the upstairs floor of the former Barclays Bank bank building, in the High Street, which has been taken over by the town's community partnership as a resource centre.

One sergeant and ten constables are based in the office. They include designated beat officers PC Steve Barker and PC Simon Schofield.

Yesterday, Durham's chief constable George Hedges and Police Authority chairman Councillor Joe Knox switched on the blue light at the front of the building.

Acting Sergeant Liane Richardson said: "We are in the process of setting up regular times and dates for police surgeries in the office, but already it had proved popular with local people.

"A lot of visitors have been to see the beat officers simply because they have seen the panda car parked outside and realised someone was in.

"Others have been planning to call at the resource centre anyway and decided to visit the police office while they were there."