CELEBRATIONS over the purchase of Petersfield Police Station saw almost 300 visitors tour the Victorian lock up.

On Friday, Petersfield Museum Trustees chairman Vaughan Clarke was presented with the station keys by Michael Lane, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Clarke told the assembled dignitaries, which included Petersfield Mayor, Petersfield town councillor James Deane, Chief Superintendent Richard John of Hampshire Police and East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds, it was “a historic day” for Petersfield Museum.

Mr Lane added: “The transfer of this building for community use is something I am really delighted about.”

Following the sale of the station in St Peters Road to the museum, it wil be converted into a Victorian Justice Heritage Centre.

The day after the key hand over, the museum hosted an open day.

Visitors could tour the police station and see it’s cells, virtually unchanged since the building opened in 1858.

Victorian bicycles toured the town, including a penny farthing cycle, and visitors used clues to follow the route around the town taken by an ‘escaped prisoner.’

Museum trustee Bill Gosney said: “On the Friday after the key hand over, about 70 people looked around the police station, and during the open day on Saturday there were about 200 visitors.

“It was a weekend, and there were lots of positive comments about the plans for the building.

“Everyone was very supportive, and it was a fantastic start to a project that could take some years to complete.”

It is hoped basic work re-jigging the downstairs of the police station can start before Christmas, so that part of it will be able to open to the public next March.

But for now, museum staff and volunteers will be emptying the Flora Twort Gallery in Church Walk.

The museum has sold the historic building to help fund the police station project.