Campaigners fight to preserve Portslade's Police Station as a museum
15Campaigners are coming together in an attempt to preserve the old police station in Portslade as a museum.
The building in St Andrew's Road was built in 1908 but has sat empty for almost 40 years.
After being used as a storage centre by Brighton and Hove City Council, the local authority want to convert the building into social housing.
But campaigners maintain the building, which still has the original cells in place, is worth preserving as a resource centre for the whole community.
Trevor Povey, a local historian, believes it can be used as a museum to promote the three different areas of Portslade: the port, the old village and Mile Oak.
He said: "All three areas have very proud histories. Now may be time to bring them all together as museum, resource and educational centre.
"That will mean that future generations can keep in touch with the history of Portslade, with it being a place where people can come together and learn."
Mr Povey said the police station, which is flanked by two cottages for the higher-ranking officers, was built in 1908.
He added it would be a "great shame" if one of the last civic places in the old port area of Portslade was lost forever.
Mr Povey said: "Not a lot of people remember but where this building is located is right in the heart of an international port town. It was mainly used by Baltic trading companies so there lots of different nationalities, way before Brighton was built up.
"There's no reason that we can't save it. But if we don't get enough people enthusiastic about the building then we can't save it."
Campaigners have six weeks to put together a plan to the local authority to show it can run the building.
Local councillor Alan Robins is one of those supportive of the plans.
He said: "I was born very close to here, no more than 200 yards away and I remember it as a working police station.
"My mum used to tell me that if i didn't behave then I would end up here.
"Once we put down a definite plan, put something together which is workable and doable then I'm sure we'll get the whole backing of the community."