PLANS for a criminal custody centre in Runcorn reach the final stages this week.

An outline planning permission has been submitted to Halton Council.

The centre will be sited at Manor Park off the Daresbury Expressway.

It will replace existing custody centres at Warrington and Widnes police stations. Runcorn station is currently only used during periods of high demand.

A police spokesperson said: "This is no different to what we are doing now, the only difference is we are centralising to make it more effective.

"The current accommodation is outdated and doesn't meet home office standards.

"The shortage of trained staff in the custody suites keep police officers away from patrol duties while the people they have arrested are processed."

A Halton Council spokeswoman said the bid was likely to be debated in October.

She added: "Detailed consultation will now take place and once all the necessary information has been gathered a recommendation will be made."

The new centre will be built under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) on land owned by English Partnerships.

The day-to-day management of the centre would be carried out by the current police teams, but Cheshire police says it is considering introducing private contractors for some roles.

Due to the sensitive commercial nature of the PFI bid, a police spokesperson said they could not give details of the number of cells, who was bidding or how much the construction would cost.

The spokesperson added: "We will make sure everyone who leaves the centre has an adequate means of transport so they can leave the area and get home and we will consult with the community every step of the way."