A police station is being built next to a custody centre to cater for people in north and east Brighton.

The officers who police the districts are currently split between Sussex House headquarters in Hollingbury and John Street police station in Brighton.

The building will be a two-storey high purpose-built police station between Sussex House and the custody centre, in Crowhurst Road, Brighton, and will be run in the same way as Hove Police Station.

The station will be accessible to the public who will be able to come into a reception area off the street to report a crime.

A Sussex Police Authority spokesman said: "It meets the need that has become increasingly apparent to provide a police station for the area.

"It will cover Hollingbury in the north to Whitehawk in the east and will be much better for the east district team who will be able to work together."

It is hoped the new station will be in operation late next year. Officers will continue their neighbourhood policing roles and remain on the streets of north and east Brighton when the station is open.

Chief Inspector Jacqui Griffiths said: "Whereas now people have to go into John Street police station this will be a building which houses all the resources for north and east Brighton.

"We will still have offices in Whitehawk, Hollingdean and at the Marina for the neighbourhood teams to have a base in the community.

"This new station will spare people who live in the area having to go all the way into the centre of Brighton."

Meanwhile on Wednesday (OCT 24) councillors will decide whether to accept the recommendation to grant planning permission for a new police station in Lewes.

Sussex Police Authority submitted the application to Lewes District Council more than two months ago to build a £2 million, two-storey building in North Street car park in North Street.

More than half of the current parking spaces will be kept for public use should the plans be approved. The application was first submitted in 2005 but it was refused on the grounds of poor design.

Only one person has objected to the current planning application over concerns of potential noise from sirens.

If the plans are approved they will be subject to stringent conditions involving the drainage, appearance and noise around the site.

The current police station, which is in West Street, was opened in 1883 and was built as the headquarters for the East Sussex Constabulary.

The headquarters moved to Malling House and the building reverted to being a police station. However, it is no longer economically viable and too big for the town's needs.

A spokesman for the police authority said: "It is not really environmentally friendly and is probably too large for the needs of Lewes. The existing building will be offered for sale.

"We believe it will be better for Lewes. There is an emphasis on neighbourhood policing and it is important we are accessible for cyclists and people who use public transport."