Police to sell off force headquarters and close stations

Chief Constable Keith Bristow and other high-ranking officers will move out of the Leek Wootton HQ in March and they will be followed by all but staff from the site’s attached communication centre in the coming months.

The force has not confirmed the value of the headquarters, claiming doing so would be commercially sensitive.

Seven stations including Warwick and Kenilworth could also be sold.

Officers would relocate to more cost-effective premises such as smaller safer neighbourhoods offices, the Justice Centre in Leamington and shared public buildings.

Warwick, Kenilworth and Wellesbourne police stations are all earmarked for sale.

The aim is to reduce the £4 million annual operational bill the force pays for its estate, of which a quarter comes from the grade II listed headquarters.

But this would only cover a fraction of the £23 million the force must save from its £100 million annual budget while trying to limit the number of job losses, which could amount to 450 – or a quarter of staff.

Speaking last week, Mr Bristow said: “Buildings don’t protect the public, people protect the public.

Read this week’s Courier for an in-depth report.