THIEVES have been having a field day - stealing equipment from the site of Cheshire Police's new multi-million pound headquarters.

Almost £17,000 of Roller blinds, tools and a cement mixer have now all vanished from the site.

So far none of the stolen items have been recovered, no one has been arrested but police are investigating.

However, yesterday a spokesman for the Cheshire Constabulary said the thefts would not delay work on the building of their new HQ.

"It's a massive site and £4,000 worth of missing tools is not going to affect them at all," she said.

Cheshire Police, which covers Knutsford, was formed more than 130 years ago in 1856 and is now responsible for policing an area of 232,850 hectares with a population of 980,000. The force is leaving its Chester headquarters for a purpose-built home in Oakmere Road, Winsford. Yesterday a police spokesman said the construction company was responsible for the site's security.

"HBG are still managing the facility," she said. "Any criminal investigation would take place through the local police station. Thefts from building sites are not uncommon." Staff based at the current Chester headquarters visited their new base on Friday.

They believe it will allow officers to investigate crimes more quickly. "Our forensic staff are based in Neston at the moment," said a spokesman. "If we pick up a CCTV tape it had to be driven all the way there before. This way we're putting it right in the middle. That was why the location was chosen."

Cheshire Police will take over the new headquarters in October and staff, who currently work in Chester, Crewe and Neston, will be moved there gradually. As the Guardian went to press a spokesman for HBG Construction Ltd was unavailable to comment about security arrangements at the building site.