EASTLEIGH police station in Leigh Road has closed for good after 95 years.

Yesterday officers moved into their new offices at the town’s Shakespeare Business Centre.

This comes after the building in Leigh Road was deemed outdated and no longer fit for purpose.

As previously reported, the building was put up for sale and the front office shut for good in May.

The plans for the building in Leigh Road have not been unveiled yet.

But the force said officers would now operate from the new premises.

The new site at Shakespeare Business Centre features an interview room, workspace for 30 officers and staff, parking for operational vehicles and meeting rooms.

However, as previously reported, there will not be a front office open to the public.

This comes after the force said the use of the front-counter services in Eastleigh had declined as the vast majority of residents contacted the police via phone and online. Civic chiefs had previously stressed the need to have police officers in the town centre.

But police and crime commissioner Michael Lane defended the new site and said the move would keep the police close to the centre of Eastleigh.

He now added: “Providing effective and efficient bases for the officers and staff that serve our communities has always been one of my priorities for the role of commissioner, and our service must respond to changing demands. This move keeps the police close to the centre of Eastleigh, where they will continue to keep residents safer.”

The force said the commissioner’s estate strategy continues to retain police officers in a mix of new and refurbished bases within the communities they serve.

Chief Inspector Darren Miller, Eastleigh District Commander, added: “ The team and I will still be located in the centre of the community, making us effective and accessible for all.”

The Daily Echo asked the force whether the building in Leigh Road has been sold but they were unable to provide a comment before the paper went to press.