LANCASHIRE Police tried to persuade the council to let them lease their new Accrington police station for free, it has been revealed.

The £500,000 station is set to open up in a former coffee shop and retail unit in Broadway later this year.

The move, from Spring Gardens, just under half a mile away, is expected to save the force £50,000 a year and provide a visible police presence in Accrington.

It will also provide a base for local officers, a public desk and parking.

Council documents show the force originally wanted to move in with social services, and then tried to negotiate a rent-free lease when the council refused.

“They were, like all public sector organisations, under financial strain and had originally asked for nil rent, as their option to share office space with social service was more cost effective,” the documents revealed.

“The agreed rent of £21,500 per annum was therefore a compromise that met the needs and expected outcomes of both organisations.”