Love it or loathe it, Wrexham's police headquarters has been an iconic part of the town's skyline for more than 40 years.

As it closed its doors for the last time on Tuesday afternoon, those officers who gathered on its steps to say goodbye all have their own memories of the building which will soon be condemned to the history books.

Inspector Vic Powell said he and his colleges were relishing the opportunity to move on to the next chapter in their careers and with it, a new contemporary building in the Oriel Library, that he says will be more suited to a modern police force, but that the tower held many personal memories.

He said: "It's where I started my policing career and where I first learnt how to use a radio. It's also a place where I discovered that some people can be quite unpleasant.

"I guess it's allowed to see and experience a side of humanity that I hadn't really seen before and that will stay with me forever because it's basically where I learnt my craft."

Inspector Powell went on to thank the "great bunch of people" he has worked with over the years and that policing in such a big and busy town like Wrexham, although not without its challenges, had been really rewarding.

He added: "I went away for ten years and when I came back, I noticed so many changes and since my return there has been several evolutions, and it's now time for another.

"The most dangerous thing I had back in the day was an itchy blue jumper, but today's officers carry so much kit around with them and of course, most of it is digital."

As reported on the Leader yesterday, the police will maintain a strong presence in the town centre, including a front counter facility when they move local police services to Crown Buildings, on 31 Chester Street, while work on a new police station at the Oriel - Library building on Llwyn Isaf is completed, which could be as soon as May.

PC Thomas Hough, one of the officers who called the building his base in a near seven year career in the force, is another who will take many memories into the future.

He said: "It's been a pleasure, I have some amazing memories of the building and it's a piece of history that has stood tall over Wrexham, keeping her safe."