A COUNTY police station may be closed and sold into public ownership - to be rented out by the police force for a "one-stop-shop" in the town.

Plans to close Easingwold Police Station have been approved by North Yorkshire Police Authority which will lead to the police station site being sold by the authority.

But now it has been suggested that the building, if in public ownership, may house the new one-stop-shop created to replace the police station.

"There is a distinct possibility of a police presence being maintained in that building," said North Yorkshire Police estates manager Stuart White.

"It all depends how we dispose of the station.

"It may go back into public ownership, and we may rent back some space within it."

He said the police had been looking to find a site to base the one-stop-shop since the plans had first been put forward by the Police Authority, but had been having severe difficulties.

"We have been really struggling to find anywhere, we had looked at moving into the Galtres Centre with the Town Council, but have been struggling because of disabled access."

He said the future of the police station building was still very uncertain, and there had been no efforts made to market the site as yet.

He said: "Whatever happens, the police station is not going to be closed for some time, not until we have found a new base for the police in the town at the very earliest.

"That could be 18 months or two years down the line.

"But we do now have the permission necessary to go ahead once we have found the necessary facilities for the new police presence in the town."

Easingwold councillors had previously attempted to save the building by having it declared a listed building, but were thwarted by English Heritage.

"They ruled that although the building was "well-mannered" it was no more special than many other public buildings built between the two wars," said Hambleton District Council planning officer Tony Robinson.

Councillor Geoff Ellis said: "I am disappointed with the news, as we are just trying to save the building from being demolished if it should be sold to developers."

Updated: 10:54 Wednesday, July 30, 2003