PLANS to move Widnes Police Station have been approved by Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

John Dwyer says a help desk will be available at the proposed new location inside the Select Stadium in Lower House Lane.

Cheshire Police says the current building in Kingsway is too costly to refurbish and too big.

Area Commander, chief superintendent Sarah Boycott said: "The station and the adjacent derelict court were too large for our needs and not fit for purpose. Renovating the premises would have cost in the region of £1.9 million."

In a survey, 74 per cent of residents supported the move and said the new location was accessible.

People suggested a public contact point in the shopping centre would be a good idea.

John Dwyer said: "I am very grateful to the people who gave us their views. Overwhelmingly, people saw the sense of what was proposed.

“Policing will remain very close to the town centre, with officers working from a genuine community facility. Operational policing will be better supported by more modern facilities within the new station. All at an affordable cost. These are precisely the outcomes I set out to achieve when I asked for a root and branch review of the police estate.

"An additional benefit for the town will be the freeing up of the current site for development. And we will of course now be following-up the survey results by installing a state of the art public contact point within the town centre, as people have said they would welcome that."

If Halton Council approves the plans, the station could move before the end of the year.