POLICE officers in Teignmouth are poised to move into their new, state-of-the-art building.

Situated in the grounds of Teignmouth Community College, the £1million station replaces the existing main station in Carlton Place.

Response officers serving Teignmouth and Dawlish will operate from the new premises on the old Mount Everest site at the college, which will provide them with better access and a more suitable location from which to answer emergency calls.

Moving day will be June 23.

Insp Chris Shaw, pictured above, head of Teignmouth and Dawlish police, said the move was 'fantastic'.

And he was quick to reassure Teignmouth residents that the 'shop front' police office in Wellington Street would remain open, although there will be no public access at the community college site.

He said: 'I believe there have been rumours that the shop is to close but that is not the case.

'It will remain open as it is to the public and our local team of neighbourhood beat managers will be based there.

'We are thoroughly looking forward to moving in. It is a great new provision at the college and they have been very welcoming up there."

He added: 'You can't deny these are difficult economic times but at the moment in terms of policing and the force estate, things are very positive."

Removal and IT experts will be carrying out the move from the Carlton Place station.

Insp Shaw said: "It's just like moving house and you would not believe the amount of rubbish which has accumulated."

He also assured members of the public that the policing service on moving day will be 'exactly the same'.

However, CID officers based at Teignmouth will be moving to a centralised office at Newton Abbot police station.

Insp Shaw said they will be mostly the same officers at present and will still be covering the patch but that the operation is being centralised with CID officers from Chudleigh also working out of Newton Abbot.

Once the removal is complete, the Carlton Place building will close and is due to be converted into flats.