Ashford police station became so dangerous with falling lumps of concrete that it could have killed someone, a report claims.

Chartered surveyors from Collier Stevens were brought in by Kent Police to assess the safety of the police station in Tufton Street, and their findings have been revealed following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Kentish Express.

The report highlights that there have been concerns about lumps of concrete from the exterior cladding of the building falling off since 2006, and it states that the problem is only going to get worse.

The six-storey block was built in 1968, with the exterior made up of concrete panels which are held in place by steel pegs.

But because of corrosion, steel enforcement in the panels had become exposed through a process called spalling, leaving pebbles and concrete liable to fall onto people walking below.

The report, which was given to Kent Police in October 2015, states: “Over the past eight or nine years, regular and ongoing maintenance has been carried out to this building.

“These repairs, too, are beginning to fail because the adjacent, previously sound, areas of concrete are now deteriorating and causing both the old and new sections to be pushed away from the building.

“During our inspection we were able to remove several large sections of concrete at least 300mm in length and 60mm in breadth. Were these to fall away they would cause very significant and fatal damage at ground level.”

The report also found that in 2015, the rooftop parapet panels, which weigh in at nearly a ton, were unsupported and could have fallen with devastating effect.

Inspectors found that Kent Police’s initial scaffolding put up in 2015 was inadequate and posed an “immediate safety risk”.

In their conclusion, the inspectors said: “The failure of larger sections of concrete can be expected and there is a significant risk that the exposure of the panels securing pegs will result in the panels becoming unstable.

“We are of the view that, as far as the external envelope is concerned, it is at the end of its usual serviceable life.”

The force says the cladding is inspected on a monthly basis and loose material is identified and removed.

It says the scaffolding is not providing any support to keep the building standing, and say the overall building is structurally sound.

Divisional Commander Ch Supt Andrea Bishop said: “A structural survey of the building has identified that the external concrete cladding is deteriorating rapidly and is approaching the end of its serviceable life.

“Although maintenance is ongoing to ensure the building remains safe, a decision has yet to be taken on the long-term future of the building.

“To re-clad and re-glaze the entire building would cost a great deal of money and we are in the process of evaluating whether this would be economically viable. We are also considering a number of other options.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) chief finance officer Rob Phillips said the final decision about the station’s future will be made by the commissioner Matthew Scott.

Mr Phillips said: “We have a duty to the public to make sure all buildings are cost effective and represent value for money.

“The commissioner has asked the force to come forward with a proposal, consulting with an extensive range of stakeholders, before a decision is taken in due course.

“Our estate plays a key role in delivering effective and efficient policing for the people of Kent and all decisions are made on the basis of community need, use, operational effectiveness and efficiency, and opportunities to share accommodation with partner agencies.

“The commissioner has made it clear that retaining a policing facility in Ashford is a red line and he will only agree to a plan which does not result in a diminution of service to the public.”

The building opened in 1969 and was built on the site of the former (Strict Baptist) Ebenezer Chapel and a row of warehouse buildings that included a builders yard and undertakers storage premises.

From the early 1970s until they moved elsewhere, Ashford Police Station was known as T4 (Traffic Area 4) before moving to Nackington and then latterly Coldharbour.

The ‘new’ police station replaced the previous police station in Tufton Street which now houses the Victim Support unit.