A CLOSED police station is set to be demolished - but the site it sits on could still be put to use by officers.

Bitterne station shut in 2016 and last month a new £430,000 response hub opened in West End Road.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire has now confirmed to the Echo the long-closed station in Whites Road will be knocked down.

No concrete plan for the site has been drawn up, but the office said staff are working on proposals.

A statement said: "The legacy police station on Whites Road is still currently owned by the PCC.

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"The site is currently identified for retention and development to support the future estate strategy for Hampshire. However, work on this project is at a very early stage.

"Demolition of the building has been identified as a practicable option for the site to remove the risks the empty building poses to the public.

"Work to identify what would replace the existing building needs to be matured before that action can happen."

Officers are currently based at the Bitterne response hub. When it was opened crime commissioner Donna Jones said: "It’s perfectly placed for the police to be able to get to those response calls really quickly.”

She added: “Bitterne is a great high street location, and this new base contributes to working space for the hundreds of new police officers we have recruited and provides reassurance and a service to the public.”     

It comes as Ms Jones announced around 800 officers and staff will move out of Southampton Central police station next year.

They are being relocated - in the New Forest and Winchester - while a major refurbishment is carried out.

The move comes as the commissioner looks again at what buildings Hampshire Constabulary currently uses.

Gosport police station - long since closed and set to be sold for redevelopment - was saved by Ms Jones.

As reported in the Echo, she will now put it back into use for training recruits brought into the force.

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