Conversion and renovation work inside Keighley’s old North Street police station and courts building is nearly finished.

The property is due to be launched as a new civic centre for the town in mid-April and could be opened by a member of the royal family.

The Keighley News was given a tour of the inside of the revamped Victorian building this week.

Keighley Town Council special projects co-ordinator, Alan Parry, said he was delighted with the high quality of the work done by local firms – including the main contractor Davric Construction.

He explained: “We’ve had to keep within the bounds of the listed building specifications, so our architects have needed to design around all the things which had to stay.

“For example, we had to keep all the main, load-bearing Victorian walls and even the old window glass. The building was completely empty, dilapidated and damp for four and a half years – aesthetically we’re restoring it as best we can.”

The £1.1m Keighley Town Council-led project will see the finished two-storey premises housing a variety of facilities and services, including visitor attractions, a conference and dining room, a first-floor restaurant, a ground-floor coffee bar, kitchens, a police contact point, rooms for debt and housing advice, and space for town council staff.

Mr Parry said despite the limitations imposed by the listed building’s design, it has been made accessible to disabled people.

He said visitors would have an opportunity to view the parts of the building set aside to showcase a history of policing and forensic science techniques.

The attractions will include Victorian-style cells – complete with barred doors, straw mattresses and primitive wooden barrel toilets – law and order-related exhibits such as old-fashioned microscopes and truncheons, a pair of crime scene rooms and a horse-drawn black maria.

Some of the graffiti scrawled by prisoners in the building’s small outdoor exercise yard has been retained, along with 1960s-era policing equipment.

The property will also incorporate a forensic science education centre, featuring computers, a laboratory and activities on offer for both youngsters and adults.

Mr Parry said: “Bradford, Salford and Manchester universities are working with us on the design of these forensic programmes.”

He said that before the main launch date there will be a trio of open days to give people a preview of what will be available. The first of these, for members of the general public, will be next month.