PLANS have been unanimously approved to keep two temporary buildings at a Hampshire garage used to store police evidence.

Williams Garage, in Main Road, Otterbourne, will now keep the buildings that were erected following a blaze in November 2015.

They will be used to store vehicles recovered from the scenes of crashes and crimes on behalf of Hampshire Constabulary.

A nearby resident told Winchester City Council’s planning committee that he feared lorry movements to and from the site would be dangerous for children in the area, but councillors were reassured that the planning application would not result in extra vehicle movements.

The 2015 fire ripped through the garage’s yard and more than 40 firefighters tackled the flames.

Incident commander Shaun Cheeseman, from St Mary’s fire station, said at the time: “When we arrived, flames were coming out of the top of the rear workshop and the building was well alight with smoke coming out of all the doors.

"The fire was that intense that we couldn’t get any crews inside.”

A £60,000 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, one of only 500 made, was among the vehicles burnt out in the 2015 blaze which was attended by more than 40 firefighters.

However, it is thought no police evidence was destroyed during the fire.