Work starts on £12.5 million custody suite in Quedgeley

The state-of-the-art facility, which will be capable of holding up to 50 detainees in secure accommodation, is expected to be finished and fully operational by the end of 2014.

Along with the cells, which will all be monitored by CCTV, the building will also house interview rooms and offices, enabling police to pursue their investigations when individuals are linked to other crimes.

The custody block at the Waterwells Business Park, which has Home Office approval, will become a centralised hub for detainees, replacing the force’s ageing cells in Gloucester and Cheltenham.

Once completed, Gloucestershire police say it will help to reduce admission waiting times, meaning a quicker turnaround for officers who can get back out on patrol faster after making arrests.

A special ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction phase was held at the site by the county’s first Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl and the force’s chief constable Suzette Davenport on Wednesday, July 31.

"This is really good news for the force, as our current cells are only just fit for purpose," said Ms Davenport.

"I am looking forward to working closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to now bring these plans to life."

On taking office, Mr Surl reviewed the cost of the custody suite project after being asked to approve the scheme, which had originally been proposed by the old police authority.

After clawing back nearly one and a half million pounds by cutting non-essential work and making other savings, Mr Surl endorsed the project.

"I am not happy the cost has gone up by so much but it could have been much worse. I wanted to be satisfied it was the long-term answer to our custody problem at the best price we could get," he said.

"It will meet the needs of the constabulary and the wider justice system whilst the contemporary design will fit in well with the environment and the other buildings in the area."