THE old Northgate police station is likely to become Blackburn's first town-centre hotel after the Grade II-listed building was put up for sale today.

But any renovation will have to be put on hold for five years - until a new magistrates and county court building is built.

Lancashire Magistrates Service signed a 125-year lease in 1996 to continue using part of Northgate as Blackburn Magistrates' Court and will not move out until the new home is ready.

Anthony Egerton, justice chief executive for Lancashire Magistrates, revealed a multi-million-pound private-finance bid is being sought to build the new court, with a site at the Preston New Road end of Barbara Castle Way being looked at.

Alex Taylor, of Blackburn-based Taylor Weaver which is handling the sale, said he expected whoever bought the building to rent out the top floors as offices until the new court was ready.

The police station went on the market today. And although Taylor Weaver said no price had been set, Northgate, built in 1912, is expected to reach a six-figure sum.

It has four floors, 15 cells, and a number of offices, totalling 52,000 sq ft. The building was vacated by police when the force moved to new £7million headquarters at Greenbank, Whitebirk, in 2003.

Mr Taylor said: "It is early days. We have had interest from some people who would like to convert it into a hotel."

Mr Egerton said the court would not be following the police out of town. He added: "I am really keen to stay in Blackburn. My priority is defendants and court users and the accessibility to local people. I can reassure people there will always be a court presence in Blackburn."

He added that it could take five years for a private finance initiative - where investors pay for construction and lease out the building - to come to fruition.

And, he added, because of the long lease, the court would not be moving out before it had somewhere else to go.