RADCLIFFE police station is leading the way by becoming the first environmentally friendly police building in Greater Manchester.

Work has been completed to instal solar roof tiles at the station in Railway Street.

The tiles act in the same way as standard solar panels to generate electricity and need only daylight — not sunlight — to work.

It is hoped the tiles will produce about 3,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, depending on conditions.

This would make a huge difference to the station’s energy use, with one kilowatt hour of electricity being enough to power a computer or television for five hours.

A display has been set up in the station’s reception area to show visitors how much energy is being produced by the tiles.

The project cost £30,000, with half of it covered by a grant from the Government’s low-carbon buildings programme.

Loft insulation and a more efficient boiler have also been installed to reduce the amount of gas used.

Helen Wilson, acting environmental manager for Greater Manchester Police, said: “We have been looking at our energy efficiency across the whole of the force and wanted to fit a renewable energy installation somewhere.

“The Radcliffe site was selected because of its size and the fact it had a suitable roof that faced the right direction to gain optimum power.

“This is our first project, but if it’s successful we hope to do similar things at our other stations. ”