BROMYARD is to get a new £160,000 police station sooner than it expected.

West Mercia Police Authority has decided to bring forward the construction of a new station with work set to begin within the current financial year.

The building was due to be phased in over two years.

But at its annual meeting on Wednesday, the authority approved a recommendation from its planning and resources panel that it would be more cost-effective to build a replacement station in Bromyard before another in Peterchurch.

Brian Ridley, support service manager for the Herefordshire division of West Mercia police, said: "It's good news for Bromyard and for us that it's been brought forward.

"The current building was never meant to be a police station and we've had to make do. We will level the current building and put in a purpose-built two-storey station.

"It'll have everything that a modern police station should include - a good reception area, better offices, improved technical facilities, and more space for parking."

He said that all stations are built with a capacity to cope with a 25 per cent staff increase.

He added that he hoped the building work would begin, subject to gaining planning permission from Hereford-shire Council, between January and May 2004.