A MAJOR refurbishment of Chorley Police Station is under way to make life easier for visitors and staff.

The work, costing £1.4 million, will result in a complete modernisation of the St Thomas's Road building.

But visitors are being warned they will have to use a mobile police inquiry desk from January 19 for a week while the reception area is adapted.

Included in the new-look building will be:

A new, larger, CCTV monitoring room to help officers keep a watchful eye on the streets of Chorley.

The creation of more space in offices so staff have a better working environment.

A complete overhaul of the public inquiry desk with better disabled access and modern, private rooms for interviews.

New facilities for Crown Prosecution Service staff to allow them to work in the station alongside police officers.

The public inquiry desk will close for a week on Monday January 19 and visitors will have to report to a mobile police unit parked on the courtyard in front of the magistrates' court.

The temporary unit will be open from 9am until 4pm every day to deal with inquiries from the public, including property inquiries and document productions.

Other policing services will be operating as normal during the temporary closure.

People with pressing or urgent inquiries should use the yellow phone outside Chorley Police Station to be directly connected to the Southern Communications Centre or visit Leyland Police Station.

Neil Chessell, Geographic Inspector for Chorley, said: "This is an exciting development for Chorley Police Station and will allow our officers and staff to work within a modern and professional environment.

"I am particularly pleased that the facilities we will be able to offer the public attending the police station will be fully modernised and include improved facilities for the disabled and comfortable private offices in which confidential advice can be obtained from police staff."