POLICE will move from Christchurch to Ferndown for a 12-month trial starting on October 1.

Some of the area’s patrolling officers will be relocated “in order to determine the best way to meet the current and future operational needs of the county”, Dorset Police has confirmed.

Spokeswoman Claire Masser also said the new arrangement will allow for sergeants to be released from patrol to get more involved in Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Christchurch.

She added: “North Dorset has been operating this model since April and is experiencing a reduction in crime and significant increase in positive outcomes for victims as a result of effective supervision and tasking.”

In April Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill confirmed plans to shrink the Dorset Police estate and said the current police station could be sold off, along with the former Magistrates’ Court on the same site.

He refused to make a commitment to replace it with another station but said instead that there will be “a police presence” in Christchurch.

Discussions about how best to develop the multi-million pound Bargates site have been going on for several years. At one point a supermarket was suggested as an option.

The landowners include Dorset Police, Dorset County Council, Christchurch Borough Council and the Hospital of the Mary Magdalen Trust.

Dorset Police added: “This trial does not represent a final decision or an indication of any future decisions.

“We do not have any further information on the future of Christchurch police station at this time.”