Oxford shoppers will be able to chat to their beat bobbies while picking up a pint of milk when a police base opens in Sainsbury's.

The supermarket has agreed to house Thames Valley Police's Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley beat team at its Heyford Hill store.

The force hopes it will mean more people will get used to coming and meeting their local police team.

The supermarket will be the first in the county - and only the second in the country - to house a police office.

A further police satellite station' is planned inside a flat in Rose Hill.

Insp Andy Talbot, neighbourhood inspector for the area, hoped it would make the police more accessible to residents. The team is currently based at Cowley Police Station.

He said the aim was to avoid Police Community Support Officers and neighbourhood teams having to go back to the main police station during shifts, and to maintain visibility to local people.

He added: "This reinforces what we are trying to do. The neighbourhood teams can operate while being easily accessible."

Sainsbury's manager Gavin Claxton said: "We were first approached about this back in November and I was very keen to get involved."