A POLICE base being built at a railway station will be arriving late.

The construction company working on the new town centre police office at Blackburn Railway Station had been unable to use a hoist for building work until safety checks were carried out.

The hoist was similar to one used during a fatal accident on a building site in Wales.

Accrington-based Hambling Construction, which is carrying out the work in Blackburn, was told not to use its hoist until checks were complete .

Damp weather is also being blamed for a month delay at the police office, which was due to open today.

The 100-year-old police station in Northgate, Blackburn, has been given a stay of execution to house the inquiry desk, town centre officers, ethnic minority team and community support officers.

Eventually, these services will all be transferred to the new three-story facility in the railway station. Other police departments, such as CID, communications and custody, were transferred to the new £5.6 million Greenbank headquarters for the Eastern Division last week.

Eventually the Northgate site will be sold-off, possibly to become a hotel.

The railway station development is to ensure that the police have a prominent presence in Blackburn town centre.

It is being constructed to the right of the station foyer where the ticket office used to be.

Chief Superintendent John Thompson said: "We are disappointed that we are not able to move before Christmas, but we want to reassure people that there is a town centre police station over the festive period. The inquiry desk at Northgate will be open as normal."