A £35m police training academy could be built in Speke.

The Merseyside force currently has to pay for officers to be trained across the country because of a lack of facilities in the region.

But bosses said the new centre would make Liverpool one of the top training centres in England and attract funds from other forces taking adavantage of its facilities.

The proposed site, at Estuary Park in Speke, would be turned into a centre of excellence where officers would be trained in crime-fighting, neighbourhood policing and leadership.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke wants Merseyside to merge with Cheshire, meaning the new academy could cater for both forces.

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