These images show how Norfolk's new police stations will look as two new ones are built and seven shut.

Eastern Daily Press: Artist's impression of new police station at Great Yarmouth. Photo: Norfolk ConstabularyArtist's impression of new police station at Great Yarmouth. Photo: Norfolk Constabulary (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Under proposals put forward by chief constable Simon Bailey on Thursday seven police stations and another seven front desks will close, but two new stations will be built in Norfolk and others redeveloped.

The police stations in Acle, Caister, Bowthorpe, Tuckswood and North Lynn will all shut.

Two other stations, currently used for storage, will also close and be sold. They are Coltishall and Europa Way in Norwich.

The force will sell the buildings and use £12m of its reserves to build two new investigation hubs at Broadland Gate Business Park and Swaffham to house all CID, child abuse and sexual abuse teams in the two locations, rather than having them spread out across the county.

Eastern Daily Press: Artist's impression of how the new police investigation hubs at Broadland Gate Business Park and Swaffham could look. Image: Norfolk ConstabularyArtist's impression of how the new police investigation hubs at Broadland Gate Business Park and Swaffham could look. Image: Norfolk Constabulary (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The Swaffham building near Waitrose will cost £3.5m and the Broadland Gate Building will add £4.7m to the bill, with another £1m needed for IT costs.

Police hope to have the buildings complete before 2020.

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The force said the construction of the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) would reduce travel times, meaning detectives could still get around easily, despite not being in local stations anymore.

Meanwhile, Sprowston station will reopen at the new hub at Broadland Gate and Swaffham station will also move to the police's new investigation centre there.

Reepham, Attleborough and Holt stations will call in the removers too as they head to new buildings at the fire stations in those towns.

Gorleston station could close and relocate to Beacon Park, while Hurricane Way station will shut and move to Bethel Street in Norwich city centre.

Bethel Street station will be redeveloped along with King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

Changes to stations are bad news for those working on the front desk, with 26 jobs at risk.

The public will only be able to walk into three stations in Norfolk - King's Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth - as seven public enquiry offices close.

Mr Bailey said: 'I know how much communities value police stations and public enquiry officers but I have to balance that against the changing face of crime and I can't afford to have someone sitting behind a desk in a police station where they have one visit an hour.'

Thetford, Downham Market, Hunstanton, Fakenham, Dereham, Cromer and North Walsham are closing their front desks, but plan to have regular sessions when the public can still turn up and see an officer.

According to a police survey, around 48,000 people visited the counters last year and almost 33,000 of those visits were to the three desks which are staying open.