Suspects banged up in Hamilton Police station's cramped and smelly cells will have a long wait for better conditions.

Last week, inmates had to be sent to Warwick camp after a plumbing problem flooded prisoner accommodation, making it uninhabitable.

One source told The Royal Gazette this week: "They are hot as hell and awfully smelly. There is always one cell not working and they have to rotate them.

"Sometimes the toilets and taps don't work."

In May, defence lawyer Peter Farge likened conditions there to that suffered by "Japanese prisoners of war", after pointing out there was nowhere to wash.

However Works and Engineering and Housing Acting Permanent Secretary Alexander Ming said Government was doing minor upgrades but nothing major would be done because a new Police and court building in Court Street was planned,

Work is set to start towards the middle of next year.

He said: "It is very unlikely anyone will invest significant sums into the place which is expected to be vacated in the near future.

"The focus of the current administration is creating the new Hamilton Police station and court building in Hamilton."

Asked about the minor repairs at the current building in Parliament Street he said Government had fixed the roof and was work was now being done on the basement.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said seven cells had been fixed but another three were still out of action and being worked on.

One defence lawyer said about the cells: "Over two or three days it's pretty bad. It becomes rather inhumane."