THE start of building work on a new Police Investigation Centre in Basingstoke was officially marked last Friday.

Simon Hayes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, and Andy Marsh, Hampshire Constabulary's Chief Constable, were joined by Councillor Clive Sanders, the leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, and Mace director Nick Abbey at the ground breaking ceremony.

The Police Investigation Centre (PIC), in Viables Business Park, Jayes Close, is the second of three planned in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner's Estate Strategy to develop buildings that are fit for modern policing and are cost efficient.

The PIC in Viables will cover Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover, Alton, Aldershot and Farnborough, and will include 36 custody cells and public facing lost and found property desk.

It will allow frontline police officers to resume and patrol their local communities more quickly after taking people to be kept in custody to the centre, which will accommodate 400 members of staff on a shift basis, operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mr Hayes said: "The launch of building work for the new PIC in Basingstoke brings Hampshire Constabulary one step closer to being able to provide police service from a modern state-of-the-art custody facilities that meet future policing needs.

"My Estate Strategy ensures police services will be provided in modern, efficient and appropriate environments that ensure an excellent and effective service is delivered at no additional cost to the taxpayer."