POLICE plans to establish a force museum at the Guildhall site, when Tavistock Police relocate to a new station have been dashed.

The age of the historic building makes it unsuitable as a site for a museum according to the police authorities estate officer. The requirement to store artifacts in special conditions to prevent them from deteriorating cannot be ensured in a building with granite walls, and the cost of adapting the building to meet disability access legislation would also be prohibitive.

'It is an attractive idea, but the building is not physically suitable,' said police authority estates officer Robert #Battershill.

The idea of a police museum had been proposed as the historic building is the second oldest police station in the country, having been constructed over 150 years ago.

Mr Battershill confirmed that 'commercial interest' had been shown in the Guildhall site. With three parties believed to be looking at the site, selling the police station and adjoining magistrates court to a commercial interest is now thought to be the most likely option for the police authority.

'The income from the sale would be needed to finance the move to new premises,' said Mr Battershill. The sale of the police station and the magistrates court could raise up to £350,000 for the police.

It has previously been suggested that the site could be sold to a brewery for use as a pub. Eddie Gershon, spokesmen for JD Whetherspoons, who this year told the Times they were actively looking at moving into the town, said: 'We are keen to move into Tavistock, but we are not looking at that site specifically.'

Negotiations to move Tavistock Police Station from the present building to a new location are continuing and a decision on one of three sites could be made within the next month.

One possibility would be a move to West Devon Borough Council's offices at Kilworthy Park.

West Devon Borough Council have proposed that the present activities of Tavistock police could be accommodated at the western end of their council offices. This creates the possibility of a new entrance facility and vehicular access at the offices.

Approval is also being sought to make an offer of accommodation in a 'new build' site of offices close to the Council Chamber, to accommodate the council staff displaced if the police were to move to Kilworthy Park.

Mr Battershill said that a site opposite the bridge in Tavistock, had been looked at but dismissed as it would be far more expensive to develop because it is on several different levels.

He said that once a decision was reached the time scale for the provision of a new police building was likely to be a year to 18 months.

The borough council's accommodation review could also signal a change in the use for the police station at Okehampton. The large police station at Okehampton is currently under-utilized, and police have indicated that the borough council would be welcome to lease the back half of the building to accommodate the Oaklands Drive based-staff, an idea which members have agreed in principle.

The borough council say there is a 'significant room' in Okehampton police station which could be used as a Council Chamber. The police building would be 'turned around', so that a new front entrance would be created at what is currently the back of the building, allowing more direct access.