Earlier this week, Punchline exclusively revealed a tour of the Sabrina Centre, Gloucestershire Constabulary's new state-of-the-art police training centre.

After a £6.9m investment in the project, the building now contains a conference venue, multiple meeting and lecture rooms, a canteen, gym, parade ground and parking for around 250 cars.

In the series of videos below, filmed by www.Punchline-Gloucester.com editor Mark Owen, you can watch the impressive transformation of the two-storey former laboratory building at Berkeley in Gloucestershire.

The daring renovation project was the vision of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martin Surl, who acquired a 150-year lease on the building rent-free for £600,000 from the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency.

Mr Surl said: "Gloucestershire has never had its own training centre. Every other force I've been to have it, and we didn't. So, I wanted to deliver this for the force because they needed it.

"We're trying to uplift the organisation so new recruits will be coming in cohorts of 20 and there could be three of four groups at any one time.

"The officer's safety training takes place here, in groups of 50-60 and then there's also IT training. So, at any one time there could be up to 200 officers, could be as little as 50-60 on site."

The Sabrina Centre will also prepare for planned growth in the Constabulary's frontline by more than 300 officers and staff over the next three years.

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Mr Surl added that one of his main responsibilities is to ensure public money is spent prudently and since the site was vacant, structurally sound and in good order, adapting an existing building for the Constabulary's needs rather than constructing one from scratch was a well-judged move which has saved several million pounds.

"Gloucestershire Constabulary wants to be an employer of choice, not just because we pay, but because we want people to want to work for us because we are a good organisation, we've got good facilities, we care for people and we look after the community.

"We want people to be really proud to work for Gloucestershire police."