Policing some of the busiest roads in the country has been made easier thanks to the opening of a new purpose-built headquarters.

A new £3.2million state-of-the-art headquarters for the group of officers who patrol the Midlands motorway network has today been officially opened.

The unveiling followed the conclusion of a seven-year project to create a purpose-built base for the 130-strong Central Motorway Police Group, who are responsible for policing one of the busiest motorway networks in the country, covering Staffordshire, Shropshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. Almost 500,000 vehicle journeys are made each day in the area covered by the Group, 450 miles of motorway stretching from the M6 in Cheshire to the M50 near the Welsh border.

The new HQ, at Perry Barr, was opened by Worcester MP Robin Walker, the son of the late Peter Walker, former Transport Secretary, who officially opened Central Motorway Police Group’s original headquarters in 1972.

The new headquarters will become home to 120 officers and staff who had previously been spread across various sites, including the temporary buildings located on the Perry Barr site.