WILTSHIRE Police opened a new £1.8 million call centre on Thursday as part of a move to streamline the emergency call service provided by the force.

The centre brings the 999 and 101 services under one roof for the first time and has been funded by the capital reserves of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Angus Macpherson.

Mr Macpherson said: “We now have a state of the art building which is partly powered by its solar panels.

“The adjustable workstations, air ventilation system and wireless headphones help to create a healthy and productive working environment for staff who have a difficult and demanding job.”

Chief Constable Patrick Geenty said: “I have been in the service now for over 33 years and I have not seen a more successful project than this delivered. I asked myself why this project had been so successful and the answer is our staff.

“From the start of this project staff have been passionate. This thread has run throughout the whole project and that feeds through to the service we provide to the public.

“It was also a delight to welcome retired staff and our partners to join us to mark the opening of such an efficient working environment.”