POLICE officers and PCSOs will finally have a base to work out of allowing them more time to patrol in a market town.

Baldock Community Centre on Simpson Drive will act as an office for two police officers and one PCSO to carry out any administration work as well as meet members of the public and take statements.

It follows the closure of the town’s police station in May 2011, in a bid to cut costs.

An agreement has been reached between Herts Police and the Baldock Community Association, which leases the centre from North Herts District Council (NHDC), for the team to have secure internet access and storage facilities in order to carry out any their work.

It means they will no longer have to travel back and forth to Letchworth GC, where they are based, to access their IT facilities.

Instead they will sign on at the station in the mornings and go over to Baldock for the remainder of their shift.

Speaking on Tuesday at the Baldock and District Committee meeting, vice chairman Cllr Michael Weeks said: “This has been a long time coming and we are very pleased that the team will have a base here in the centre but more importantly that members of the public will have somewhere to come and meet officers.

“People want a police presence in the town and by allowing the team to work from here will also reduce the amount of time they spend going to and from Letchworth meaning they can spend more time on the beat.”

Inspector Daniel Lawrence said: “We took delivery of the laptops today (Tuesday) and will be setting up the office from next week.”

Back in October, the Comet reported that the future of the team having a base in the town hung in the balance after police and the community association were locked in negotiations over costing for the refurbishment needed to set up the office.