THE major training centre for police probationers in the North-East is to close with the loss of 45 full and part-time jobs.

Aykley Heads, at police headquarters in Durham, will shut in March next year, the body responsible for police training, Centrex, confirmed last night.

The closure - first revealed by The Northern Echo in May - is part of a move towards police training being the responsibility of individual forces which will deliver it in-house.

A new two-year Initial Police Learning and Development Programme is being rolled out with the aim of training officers close to the communities where they will be working, with less emphasis on long periods of residential training.

Last night, Gerry Skinner, Centrex branch secretary for the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents civilian staff at Aykley Heads, said it had failed to be properly consulted over the decision to close.

Mr Skinner said reform of the police training system was being pushed through with "indecent haste" and that the remaining four national police training centres were also in jeopardy.

He said: "As a trade union we are concerned about the loss of jobs, but what you also have here is a potential loss of common standards across the police at a time when, particularly with things like Soham, forces should be working together as a cohesive unit."

The Durham facility, the lease on which runs out in March, is used to train officers from the Cleveland, Durham, Northumbria, North, West and South Yorkshire and Humberside forces.

About 35 police officers based at the training centre will return to their forces when it closes.

Paul Pugh, chief executive of Centrex, which has faced a budget shortfall, said: "This decision has been taken after consultation with Chief Constables of forces in the North-East.

"Staff have been kept informed of the discussion which has taken place, and the final decision was announced to them earlier today."

Superintendent Jamie Mc-Aloon, of Durham Constabulary's personnel and development department, said: "We have been aware for some time that the closure of the Durham site was imminent.

"We are currently looking at what will represent the best way forward for police training and we are talking to Centrex, neighbouring forces and educational establishments about a range of possible options."