HAMPSHIRE police has splashed out another £1.5m on a building that will become its new headquarters.

The force confirmed it has bought Mottisfont Court in Winchester from Hampshire County Council.

Around 200 staff will move there next year from its present base in West Hill, Winchester.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the force spent £638,379 on an empty site at Alpha Park in Chandler’s Ford – bought for £9.2m in 2008 as a potential new base.

The figure included £300,000 on site security, £260,000 on business rates and £50,000 on repairs and maintenance.

Last year the force backed out of relocating to Alpha Park amid Government cutbacks, instead planning to sell a £3m portion of it.

Then police bosses did a U-turn and decided to use all of it by 2015 as a “police operational campus”.

When the current West Hill HQ closes other staff will move to Alpha Park, where there will be a vehicle workshop, force inquiry centre and an IT team.

John Apter, chairman of the Hampshire Police Federation, which represents uniformed officers, said: “Alpha Park has been an expensive and embarrassing issue that the force has had to deal with – £600,000 is a lot of jobs.”

Hampshire Police revealed last year plans to axe 1,400 jobs over the next four years as well as stations across the county.

But Hampshire Constabulary said the purchase of Alpha Park had the blessing of the Audit Commission.

FORMER senior policeman Steve Watts received an apology in front of police bosses after the Metropolitan Police wrongly accused him of breaking the Official Secrets Act.

Hampshire’s former assistant chief constable was given a public apology at the last ever Hampshire Police Authority meeting yesterday.

A statement was read at the meeting, attended by chief constable Alex Marshall, by the chairman of the authority’s personnel and professional standards committee, Robert Purkiss.

He said: “On behalf of the authority I welcome this confirmation and apology and now the regard the matter closed.”

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Mr Watts said: “I am really grateful, it was a real step in terms of moving on for what for me and family has been a very difficult time.”