Work could finally start on the long-awaited new Hamilton Police Station in the first half of 2006, Government confirmed yesterday.

Works Minister Sen. David Burch branded the condition of the ageing city station unacceptable.

He told the Senate he was shocked after taking a tour of the dilapidated building last week to see conditions at first hand.

And he added: ?I can say that I?m appalled that anybody has to work under such conditions.?

Sen. Burch said he was reluctant to ?throw good money after bad?. But short-term ?band aid? investment to improve the current site was needed given the length of time it will take to build a new replacement ? twinned with new court rooms ? at the junction of Court Street and Victoria Street.

He gave no figures but said cash had been set aside in two successive Budgets for the massive project, and that a purpose-built Hamilton station was his Ministry?s number two priority behind the controversial Berkeley school development.

Sen. Burch said ?significant discussions? had been held with Ministry officials since he took charge of the department in a bid to take the Police project forward. There was every indication, the Senate heard during a debate on new PACE legislation, that ground will be broken on the new site in the first half of 2006.

He added that a $2.7 million upgrade at Southside Police Station was due to be finished by April next year, missing its initial deadline of the end of this year. Work will then start upgrading the station at St. George?s. Government has already that will operate as a sub-station with just the lower floor used to house a round-the-clock duty officer.

He said the standard of Police accommodation had some impact on officer morale. But he said the Southside station would be a ?first class facility? and added: ?It?s setting the pace as far as we are concerned.?

News that construction work in the city has been earmarked to start next year will be welcomed by Hamilton-based officers who have complained for years about conditions at the Parliament Street base.

But some will be sceptical as Sen. Burch?s pledge comes after Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister, Randy Horton, announced in March that builders would be on site sometime this year.

He confirmed that nearly $40 million had already been set aside for the scheme, which was supposed to go to tender back in 200.

Alongside office space and interview rooms, the new building will have meeting rooms, exhibit storage, cells and a detention area, showers and locker areas for staff. It is expected that CID detectives together with traffic wardens, community beat officers and the commercial crime unit will work from the new station.

Last year first floor renovations at the Hamilton station saw offices painted and wiring and flooring installed.

And in 2003 Government fixed the roof and started work on the basement. In emergency work estimated at costing $600,000, cells were also renovated after lawyers compared them to a Japanese POW camp.