BLACKBURN'S police station could be transformed into a high-quality hotel -- after 100 years of housing local criminals.

Council bosses have revealed that they are in talks with a number of firms about the possibility of the building in Northgate being turned into a four or five-star accommodation complex.

But the scheme could hinge on finding a new home for the town's magistrates court, which is connected to the police station, so criminals aren't encouraged to loiter outside the hotel.

Blackburn has been without a high-class hotel since the County Hotel, Preston New Road, closed down more than a year ago, blaming falling demand as traffic travelled through East Lancashire on the M65 rather than along Preston New Road. And with Blackburn Police set to vacate the early-1900s building in the next two months in favour of a new base in Whitebirk, council bosses believe they have found the perfect solution to the town's lack of beds.

Steve Hoyle, assistant director for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "One option that is being looked at is transforming Blackburn Police Station into a hotel and there are operators interested in doing that.

"There are problems associated with such a project, primarily with the fact the building is also home to the magistrates court so that would have to be discussed.

"Getting a town centre hotel is something we are actively trying to do because we realise it is very important for the town."

A £4.5million bid for funding to help continue the regeneration of Blackburn town centre has been submitted by the council to the North West Development Agency. In the case of the police station, other grants could also be available.

The police station is expected to be sold for a six-figure sum and David Brindle, director of corporate services at Lancashire Police, said: "No formal offers have been received yet. My job is to get as much money as I can for it and if a hotel company bids the most, it is theirs."

In the council's revised Town Centre Action Plan -- which is currently out to consultation -- Northgate area is to be promoted as an area for mixing retail, leisure and commercial uses by attracting new pubs, clubs, cafes and bars -- and a hotel.

The police station is three storeys high, with a basement. There are 15 cells, with the upper floors being used as offices.

Another attraction for the hotel operators is the courtyard which could provide secure car parking or a veranda for a cafe or restaurant.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, president of the Blackburn Chamber of Trade, said: "A good hotel is something Blackburn is lacking, and I think will become more and more vital over time."

Michael Damms, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, called for a new hotel last year, saying that it was important businessmen travelling to Blackburn could actually stay in the town.

Claire Price, a spokeswoman for the AA Hotel Guide, which provides an annual list of the best accommodation in the UK, said: "The hotel industry has moved forward to such a degree that people are looking to some of the buildings that they would not have given a second glance previously.

"We are aware of hotels in lighthouses and former public schools and these ventures do give the potential for theme weekends, although I am not sure people would want to relive their brushes with the law!"