THE Home Office is to pump £2.2m into expanding a specialist national training centre for crime investigators.

The Durham Constabulary-run National Training Centre for Scientific Support to Crime Investigation, at Harperley Hall, near Crook, County Durham,was set up ten years ago.

The facility has already clinched £500,000, and Durham Police are confident of further investment of £1.7m from the Government in April.

The existing money has been earmarked for extra classrooms and practical areas where advanced technical training will be delivered.

If the £1.7m is awarded, the cash will provide an Internet-linked computer network, delivering on-line training to forensic scientists and scenes-of-crime examiners across the world.

The expansion programme would also include a learning resource centre, high-tech digital imaging equipment and forensic garage and scene houses.

The 250-year-old hall would be refurbished, the existing bedroom block improved and a 24-bed accommodation block built.

Centre director Peter Ablett said: "Whether we get any more cash after next spring will depend on the future needs and development of the police service."

The centre trains about 1,000 residential students each year, with that number set to rise to 1,200 next year.

Earlier this year, an official police inspectorate report criticised Britain's police forces for their failure to make the most of forensic scientists and other technical specialists in crime investigation.

The same report singled out Harperley Hall for praise when inspectors said the police service owed "a debt of professional gratitude" to Durham Constabulary for plugging gaps in national training.