SENIOR police officers and firefighters in Hampshire will work together in the same building as part of a new scheme.

The plan will see around 100 officers and support staff move to the headquarters of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, in Leigh Road, Eastleigh.

The building will become the strategic base for Hampshire Constabulary, and could see a shared gold command facility which could be used by either or both partners in the case of a major emergency in the county.

The police force’s operational headquarters will remain in Winchester, at Mottisfont Court.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “We all have to be prepared to think differently if we are to maintain a high level of service to the public and make the savings we need to.

“Co-location at this HQ, sharing accommodation in the heart of communities, and a joined-up approach to back office resource is all part of the bigger picture.

“We are prioritising the quality of our service to the public and frontline policing over expensive bricks and mortar.”

The move, thought to be the first of its kind in the country, will be funded by a £1million grant from the Home Office’s Police Innovation Fund.

It is thought the senior officers can start to move to Eastleigh in the autumn of 2015.