2012 construction plans for new police college

Image caption, The college will be built at this site in Cookstown

Construction work on a long-awaited police training college will finally begin next year, the NI Department of Justice has said.

The 拢140m college, was one of the police reforms recommended in the Patten report almost ten years ago.

A 210-acre site near Cookstown was selected almost seven years ago.

A draft budget proposal unveiled by the department on Tuesday said the Stormont executive has agreed to provide the final 拢30m for the project.

The new college will also offer training facilities for the fire and rescue service and prison officers.

If the draft budget is approved by the Executive, construction work is scheduled to begin in May next year, with the college due to open its doors in June 2014.

The Department of Justice said it also planned to start work on a new 拢12m forensic science facility early next year.

And 拢54m has been set aside to replace Magilligan prison and provide a new prison for women.