A POLICE station to be officially opened today will benefit the whole of North Yorkshire, police chiefs say.

The operations support centre, in Thirsk, will be declared open by Chief Constable Della Cannings and Jane Kenyon, chairman of North Yorkshire Police Authority.

Vale House, on Thirsk Industrial Estate, is now the home for both local and force-wide police units. In addition, Thirsk neighbourhood policing team will be based in the centre.

The building will also accommodate the force's firearms support unit, collision investigation, tactical planning, plus the fleet management department and associated workshops.

Tony Lidgate, spokesman for North Yorkshire Police, said: "The centre will bring benefits to the Thirsk and eastern area and the whole county.

"It is an excellent home for the neighbourhood policing team. They will have the best facilities and excellent access to all of Thirsk.

"At the same time, the firearms response team will have the new, secure facilities it needs as its role in policing the county increases.

"It is an investment that will pay for itself extremely quickly, with greater efficiency and improved services."

Eastern area police officers, the road policing group, traffic management and the area's crime scene investigation team are among the units to be based in the centre.

The 100-member firearms support unit, which now includes police dog handlers, was launched last year.

Previously, the force's mobile armed response units were part of the road policing group.

In the past, both sections have been involved in the same incidents, but independently so, and the armed units were based on force areas.

Superintendent Martin Deacon said: "It made sense to manage both police dogs and firearms officers within the same unit, because they are both often sent to the same incidents and have a force-wide remit.

"The new combined unit will form a formidable resource to deal with incidents occurring across the whole of North Yorkshire and the City of York."

A plaque will be unveiled in the centre foyer at the opening ceremony today.

A speech will be made by eastern area commander Chief Superintendent Sue Day.