HAMPSHIRE police's headquarters in Winchester has been nominated to appear in a TV series that aims to pull down Britain's worst eyesore.

Channel 4's Demolition has asked viewers to suggest their least favourite building and give ideas of what they would like to see replace it.

Pat Edwards, pictured, chairman of the City of Winchester Trust, today welcomed the nomination of the 1960s block.

Pat said: "We are delighted. I hope it has some effect. It is a horrible-looking building.

"I don't suppose it was ever beautiful but it has deteriorated.

Earlier this month the city council rejected a proposal to revamp it which would have involved cladding it in glass. "To clad it in glass is quite appalling. It would make it even more prominent.

"You can see it from miles around."

Hampshire police themselves have a downer on the building. They have threatened to leave Winchester, something Mrs Edwards said she would welcome.

"If they did it would cut down on parking and be a nice new site for housing redevelopment. It is not the best place for the police HQ to be."

Programme's presenter Kevin McCloud, who has also fronted Grand Designs, said: "This is not just a case of saying you hate a building. We want people to suggest ways in which their community can be improved.

"We will be looking at the arguments for and against each suggestion and at the end of the series we hope to film live footage of a building being blown up. It will be tremendous fun.

"But we also hope the programme will encourage people to engage in a nationwide debate about architecture and their environment."

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary, said: "We realise that the police headquarters building is not very popular and we will follow the programme's development with interest."

The programme will compile mini-shortlists of Britain's worst bypass, town centre, out-of-town shopping centre and airport.

Demolition is the antithesis of the hugely popular BBC series Restoration, presented by Griff Rhys Jones, which nominated historic buildings to be saved from demolition.

Other early nominations for Demolition are the Argos building in Scarborough, north Yorkshire; an estate in Hull; and the entire town of Cumbernauld near Glasgow.