SUFFOLK Constabulary has won a £430,000 grant to spruce up facilities in its police stations. The funding comes from the Government's £20 million Premises Improvement Fund (PIF), set up to help modernise stations and improve conditions for police officers and their colleagues.

By James Fraser

SUFFOLK Constabulary has won a £430,000 grant to spruce up facilities in its police stations.

The funding comes from the Government's £20 million Premises Improvement Fund (PIF), set up to help modernise stations and improve conditions for police officers and their colleagues.

Suffolk force are one of 41 forces who applied for the grant.

Acting Chief Constable of Suffolk, Gillian Parker, said: "We are very pleased that our bid for funding was successful.

"These funds will go some way to assisting us with our Suffolk First initiative, which is our aim to make Suffolk the safest county in England and Wales by 2006.

"A better working environment and improved equipment will hopefully not only benefit staff, but also the public, who will reap the rewards of this investment through even further improvements to service."

The PIF invited police forces to apply for grants to finance improvements that would benefit their officers and colleagues.

Home office minister John Denham said: "Reducing crime is at the heart of the ongoing programme of police reforms. To achieve this, we are investing in a wide range of measures to help police forces achieve their targets.

"The Premises Improvement Fund will modernise the working conditions of our officers, allowing them to operate more effectively. The allocation of £20 million will benefit 41 forces across England and Wales with a combination of technological and material improvements.

"The government is serious about tackling crime and we do not believe it is reasonable to expect officers and support staff to provide the highest standards of service in police stations which are physically run-down and ill-equipped."