Southampton police cells worth £60,000 are demolished

For more than a year the portable cabin-style units were left at Southampton Central Police Station in Southern Road under plans to refit the entire building.

All staff and officers were due to move out so corroding pipes at the beleaguered building - opened in 2011 - could be replaced.

Bosses had spent £60,000 on the units to be used when the station's custody cells would have to shut for the move, which was put on hold last year.

Temporary police cells at Southampton Central were demolished. (Image: Other)

But now it has emerged they have been demolished on site in early April after the decision was taken not to move all teams out of the building to do the work in one go.

The demolition has put the ongoing problems at Southampton Central - including the heightened risk of legionella due to the corroding pipes - back in the spotlight.

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, led by re-elected commissioner Donna Jones, said the spend on the units was 'modest'.

The spokeswoman said a £1.8m plan to buy a modular custody suite was rejected, and that the cheaper units were "a best value for money solution should the need arise".

"The temporary units were purchased at a modest amount from another police force who needed the units moved from their site at the end of their build project," she said.

"The units were only ever one option being considered whilst the refurbishment model was developed.

"The priority has always been to ensure operational policing would not be affected by any urgent or unplanned maintenance works."

Temporary police cells at Southampton Central were demolished. (Image: Other)

Pictures seen by the Daily Echo show the wreckage of the units as crews from Portsmouth Demolition took them down in early April. 

The spokeswoman said: "The units were fit for purpose and were ideal to assist with accommodating specialist teams should the model to decamp the police station have been progressed.

"This model has now been discounted and so the units have been removed from the site."

'Maintenance work ongoing'

Temporary police cells at Southampton Central were demolished. (Image: Other)Work is still underway to find a solution to the ongoing issues at Southampton Central.

The OPCC spokeswoman said: "Maintenance work is ongoing whilst the building remains fully operational.  "Feasibility work is being undertaken to find a solution to deliver longer term improvement work in a way that is value for money and has the least possible operational impact."

She added: "The current PCC has reconsidered the best way to prevent disruption to the force, in particular to custody whilst substantially reducing the planned costs, and a model is now being worked on that does not involve decamping police officers and staff from the station, thus saving money."

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: "Estates are managed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), on behalf of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

"The force works closely with them to ensure operational requirements are met, regarding quality of the working environment for our people and the public.

"Decisions regarding larger projects are consistently under review, to ensure they meet operational requirements and protect public service delivery.

"Ongoing decisions around the plan to modernise Southampton Central were not the individual decision of the Chief Constable and went through the appropriate OPCC and force governance."