The former tourist information centre based at Ripley Town Hall, has been leased to Derbyshire Constabulary by Amber Valley Borough Council and will provide a base for the Ripley Town Safer Neighbourhood Team, officers and members of the special constabulary.

Chf Supt Garry Sherwood, said: "This partnership project has given us a fantastic opportunity to get into the heart of the Ripley community.

Officers will be more accessible to the public and we will be able to react more effectively to calls for service in the town centre. This will hopefully provide increased reassurance to residents and visitors to the area.

"The office offers the team a fantastic working space; including a meeting area, a drop-in information desk and a room for private conversations or interviews."

Though the office will not be permanently staffed, regular police surgeries will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and times when officers are available will be posted on the board outside Ripley Town Hall.

The office, previously used as the council's 'Helping You Centre', providing advice for residents claiming housing or council tax benefit, was officially opened yesterday by Chf Supt Garry Sherwood, Cllr Jack Brown and Cllr Peter Makin, Mayor of Amber Valley.

Cllr Brown, said: "We felt that a police presence in the town hall would be an appropriate way of continuing this 'helping you' theme in the longer term and enable us to improve our ability to work with the police to tackle issues facing the local community."

The council closed the information centre, based in Ripley Town Hall, in November last year, as part of a cost-cutting bid to plug a forecast £2.5 million budget deficit.

The centre's five-strong staff were among 80 posts which were axed as part of the restructuring.