North Wales Police have joined many councils in using PFI

The building cost �13m but will cost North Wales Police twice that amount over 25 years.

It is being paid for under the private finance initiative (PFI), which the government encourages public bodies to use to pay for major projects.

The HQ on St Asaph Business Park is the first scheme funded by North Wales Police in this way.

It was officially opened on Friday by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and provides a new base for the force's central division, which has until now been in Llandudno.

Under PFI, contractors pay for the building costs and rent the finished project to the body in the public sector which has commissioned it.

This building has office space for employees, a 32-cell custody suite, an incident room to help co-ordinate all major investigations and scientific support which will analyse information from crime scenes.

The central division area covers towns including Rhyl and Llandudno.