HAMPSHIRE police may move their headquarters out of Winchester should they lose a planning bid to refurbish their building.

The force has launched an appeal after council chiefs turned down £5.2m plans to extend and upgrade its premises in Romsey Road.

Senior officers have warned they could apply for housing on the site and even look to relocate their headquarters elsewhere in Hampshire.

Residential development on such a prime site in Winchester would be worth millions of pounds.

The controversial plan involved cladding the 1960s nine-storey block in a reflective material and constructing a new three-storey building to replace wooden huts and former police houses.

The project was thrown out by Winchester City Council last October as having too great an impact on the city.

Simon Hayes, chairman of Hampshire Police Authority, said: "The authority acknowledges that some people view the headquarters building as unattractive. However, we could not justify spending money on a totally new building when it is possible to update and extend the existing building.

"Our decision to appeal was not taken lightly. The building is in urgent need of repair to make it both weather-tight and to protect its fabric in order to prevent structural damage and maintain the safety of those who work there and visit the site.''

The police are running out of time for a Home Office grant of £500,000, if work does not begin before March 2005.

Meanwhile, the police are supporting plans for the extension of park-and-ride up Romsey Road.

Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan said he accepted that the force has a part to play in reducing travel to work in private cars.

He said: "This cannot be achieved by Romsey Road-based employers on their own without practical support from the relevant authorities.

"A park-and-ride service to police headquarters, the hospital, King Alfred's College and the prison would provide a real alternative that would relieve the pressures on traffic on Romsey Road and on parking at police headquarters.''