POLICE are to set up a permanent base in the heart of Oxford’s Blackbird Leys estate.

Officers will be based in a new neighbourhood office which could open before Christmas.

And, in a double boost, they will receive a new addition to their team, with a fifth bobby joining the team.

At the moment the Blackbird Leys Neighbourhood Team – made up of four police officers and six police community support officers (PCSOs) – is based at Cowley police station, in Oxford Road.

The new mini police station will open at the health centre building in Blackbird Leys Road. It will be leased from Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust, which owns the site.

The two authorities have agreed the lease after more than 18 months of negotiations.

Insp Andy Storey, who is in charge of policing in the south-east of the city, said: “This is a long overdue project but we are hoping to be in by Christmas.

“Officers will now be based in the neighbourhood – instead of having to come back to the police station in Cowley all the time.

“It's not going to be a police station as such, so people can’t just wander in – although we would not turn them away.

“It’s designed for the team to be able to be out and about more in the community. I will often be there too.”

The team will take over half of the single-storey building, next to the Blackbird pub. It will be used by officers to fill in paperwork, store equipment and access the community more easily.

Monthly police surgeries might also be held there, where residents can tell police about problems.

Other police bases around the city have already opened in North Oxford, Rose Hill, Barton and near the Heyford Hill roundabout.

Mr Storey said: “Our area commander has been given the money to be able to recruit another officer full time.

“It will allow us to take on more work so you might see some more warrants for example, and more people out and about. There will be higher police visibility.”

The new officer will be recruited over the next few weeks.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire PCT confirmed some rooms in the building would be leased to the police with the rest of the space used to provide health services.

He said: “Thames Valley Police Authority has agreed to lease a few rooms from us.”