A RADICAL overhaul of police operations will see Redditch Police Station's control room combined with Kidderminster and West Mercia Police headquarter facilities at a new centre in Worcester.

The move, to be implemented in Autumn, is the first stage of a five year programme to bring all West Mercia police control rooms under one roof.

It will also coincide with the installation of a new digital police radio system called Airwave.

Pc Jan Pugh of Redditch Police said the changes could relieve police officers for operational duties in Redditch while the control room at Hindlip Hall in Worcester will oversee deployment of officers to calls.

A public service desk will remain at Redditch and feed into the new control room.

The Redditch control room is currently responsible for police deployments across town as well as at Bromsgrove, Wythall and Rubery.

Pc Pugh said: "It's a new challenge. Everybody's been consulted about it and is happy and of course it could release more officers for operational duties.

"Instead of the control room being over the corridor it will be down the road."

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: "In order for us to take advantage of the new radio system it would have meant upgrading all the divisional control rooms but it was felt that that was not economically viable so we are developing a new hi-tech centre.

"Call handlers will have a range of information at their fingertips including a call mapping facility where calls can be immediately pin-pointed on a map.

"It's aimed at providing a much higher level of service to the public."