Leyland police station
Leyland Police Station was originally located on Towngate in Leyland, in 1882 a new police station was built on Golden Hill.
The police station was built around 100 yards from the newly constructed Leyland railway station, on the West Coast Mainline,for the convenience of the officials coming to the courts that where held in the court room on the first floor of this building.
This building represents a significant period in the history of Leyland, as the civic heart of the town moved to outskirts of the town with the arrival of the railway, this is reflected in the architecture of the buildings in this area.
The architecture of the building resembles that of those built in the same era in Bamber Bridge, Croston and Chorley, (Chorley police station was knocked down in order to make way for the modern building which now stands in its place, which marked a significant shift in the architecture of municipal buildings in the UK).
The street down the side of the station was named Hewitt after one of the first inspectors[1].
Local legend persists that a police officer committed suicide within the police station and due to speculation and reported sightings, the stairway to the room where he committed suicide was removed and the entrance completely blocked off.
Following the transfer of the police station to the new building in Lancaster Gate (graffiti in the cells which still exists today records that there was still a working police station here in 1994). The building being the only building of it's type in the area still operating in its original capacity at the end of the 20th century has many remarkable features including three large crystal chandeliers. The building is currently occupied and owned by Campbells Automotive Ltd, having previously been owned by Chemtec Systems (the sign on the building say: Campbells Commercial Vehicle Marketing Group Campbells Automotive Ltd ).