PRISON vans flanked by flashing panda cars have been spotted at the police training centre which closed after racism was exposed.

Concerned residents told the Warrington Guardian that the police convoy had been seen coming and going at Bruche training centre, Hawkins Avenue, on Thursday, yet it officially closed its doors last May.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "I just saw the police entourage and wondered what the heck was going on. My mind was racing. It could have been anything."

The one-time site for training Cheshire Constabulary recruits shot to notoriety after the BBC undercover documentary The Secret Policeman exposed shocking racism in 2004.

So it was news to residents that Greater Manchester and Merseyside Police Forces, including the firearms squad, train there, despite its official closure.

A spokesman from the Central Police Training and Development Authority (CENTREX), which oversees the site, said: "While the future and sale of the site is yet to be decided, Centrex has allowed local forces to use the facilities for tactical police training We are also ensuring that ongoing security arrangements are sufficient."