A Suffolk town's police station is set to move to a hospital site as the police look to make cutbacks in the cost of premises.

Eye police station in Victoria Hill will be closing and moving to a new self-contained office at The Lodge at Hartismere Hospital, which reopened as a health and care centre on June 30 following a �1.5m refurbishment.

However, David McDonnell, chief supt of estates delivery with Suffolk police, said there would not be any reduction in the number of police officers covering the town.

He said: 'At a time when our budgets are being cut we are looking to reduce the costs of our premises in order to preserve police officer numbers where possible and maintain frontline service delivery.

'We can confirm that Eye police station in Victoria Hill will be closing and relocating to self-contained premises on the Hartismere Hospital site.

'The new office is close to the current police station and will be open to the public for the same hours as at present. The move will not affect the number of officers working in Eye or the policing of the town.

'Sharing buildings with our partners is a practical option in the current financial climate. It can provide us with quality accommodation while saving us money and maintaining our presence in communities across the county.'

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'The existing police station site and accompanying buildings will be sold to raise further capital for the Constabulary.'

The police also own two houses adjacent to the current Victoria Hill police station, which have stood empty for the last 16 years and would also be put up for sale along with the police station.

The fate of the houses has been a concern for local district councillor Charles Flatman who felt it was unfair the two properties had been unoccupied for so long when many people needed accommodation.

One possibility is to sell the properties to a housing association. The police station could move within months.