Students helping police with inquiries into garden design

Chief Constable Tim Hollis, and Martin Knapp, the force's director of estates, invited the college to suggest ideas for improving outside spaces at the Hull police station.

Mr Hollis said: "There is limited space for users to relax outdoors at present. It's an interesting site – it's quite remote and quiet with a lot of potential and it will be a nice tranquil area for the staff to use, which is important in a job like this."

Mr Knapp said the project was giving the students valuable experience. "We are in the process of redesigning the landscape at the site as part of the rationalisation of the police estate," he said.

"This work gives the students the opportunity to consider the design possibilities in a live project and understand the financial constraints we have to consider.

"The students have had some excellent ideas; for example the use of year-round colour and the use of public art as seats and planters and how this can be incorporated into a working site such as this. We were also pleased to see the use of planting which would increase the biodiversity of the site."

Foundation degree student Louis Nugus, 19, said he had based his idea on Charles Jencks's Cosmic Garden of Speculation in Scotland.

"The garden incorporates lots of big and interesting earthworks and garden 'rooms', which I've translated into this project and which would provide some nice areas to relax and enjoy lunch."

Mr Hollis added: It's been a very interesting journey and we've been given some great ideas."