A new police base has finally opened on an Oxford estate, more than a year after it was first promised.

It had been hoped the Rose Hill facility would be up and running in September last year, but at its official opening yesterday officers said they were pleased with its immediate impact.

The outpost, in a converted ground-floor flat in The Oval, is the city’s third community police base after the recent opening of facilities in Barton and at the Sainsbury supermarket at Hey- ford Hill. A fourth is planned for Blackbird Leys.

Neighbourhood inspector Andy Storey said: “This has been in the planning stages for ages so it’s very nice to get it off the ground.

“It is already making a huge difference. All of the crime comparisons are down and I think that’s largely down to more visible policing.

“The Oval has suffered enormously with antisocial behaviour in the past, but ever since CCTV was installed, and the opening of this office, we have noticed that kind of behaviour has decreased and dispersed to other areas.

“The next challenge is to concentrate on those areas.

“Rose Hill itself has benefited enormously and I’m very pleased with it.”

Six police community support officers and four neighbourhood specialist officers will be based at The Oval, although the base’s opening hours will be dependent on shift patterns.

Rose Hill neighbourhood officer Pc Ben Henley said: “We’ve been working out of here for the past two or three weeks.

“You can pretty much do anything here that you can at Cowley. We’ve got access to our computer systems and our paperwork — the only thing we haven’t got is the ability to keep anyone in custody.

“The base give us the chance to go out and see the victims of crime much more easily and quicker than if we were still based at Cowley police station.

“The travelling times from Rose Hill to Cowley have been cut out and all the travelling we do is within the area.

“We’ve had a very good reaction from the community. “We’ve had a couple of visitors here telling us about crimes, and things haven’t escalated because we are right here and not travelling from a great distance away.”

Luke Westell, a Pcso serving Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley, said: “It’s very convenient for us. We can get on with our jobs without having to go back to Cowley. It’s right in the centre of the place where we have had antisocial behaviour and we can see right outside from our office.”

Kuldip Turna, whose Costcutter store overlooks the base, said: “It is a great idea and it is very welcome. The police have been very helpful.

“It’s good for the shopkeepers and good for the customers as well. There’s much less trouble for us and it is a lot safer.”