Keighley's town centre police station will not be re-opened.

On Wednesday large metal barriers blocked the entrance to the old police help desk, on North Street, sparking fears that there would no longer be a point of contact for the police in the town centre.

At the weekend the nerve centre of Keighley police shifted to a new state-of-the-art £4 million headquarters in Royd Ings Avenue.

But last year Chief Supt Sarah Sidney said Keighley Police would always maintain premises in the town centre to give people easy access to officers. She said there would continue to be a help desk, and cell facilities would remain for the time being.

This week new boss Chief Supt Chris Hardern said: "We have had to review the requirements in Keighley town centre. We now have a brand new police station that will become part of the community of Keighley.

"There's a custody area still being used for the next 12 months approximately at the old Keighley police station, and so there's a regular stream of police officers going to and from that building."

He added: "We are actively working with the local council and other partners with a view to becoming involved in a one-stop-shop within the town centre.

"We also want Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to run regular surgeries in the town hall and we are seeking funds to be able to employ a part time member of staff to work from the town hall, where they would be able to interact with the public."

The move from cramped offices at New Devonshire House, in Devonshire Street, to Airedale House offices is expected to lead to a boom in the workforce.

Chiefs have stressed that the new location, one-and-a-half miles from the town centre, will not affect policing.

Keighley Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Simon Willsher said police would still be maintaining a visible presence across the division, including Keighley town centre.

"The public should be aware that our commitment to them remains undiminished," he said.

"We have town centre police officers, police community support officers and street wardens who will continue to provide a high visibility presence in Keighley town centre."

The new headquarters represented a substantial investment on behalf of the communities served in the Keighley division and gave vastly improved facilities, he added.

The move was essential because there was a severe shortage of space in the police station on North Street.

Some staff were working from rented accommodation across at nearby New Devonshire House.

The new building was far more suited to modern day policing, particularly in respect of access and car parking, he said.