End of the road for historic Bow Street

A LONDON police station where the playwright Brendan Behan was once held has been sold to an Irish property developer.

The sale of the Bow Street building and the neighbouring magistrates’ court will end the famous street’s links with crime and punishment.

Galway-based Edward Holdings will take over the site next summer for an undisclosed sum.

The history of Bow Street dates back to the formation in 1754 of the Bow Street Runners, the model for the world’s first modern police force.

The building’s cells have also held Oscar Wilde, murderer Dr Hawley H Crippen, wartime traitor William ‘Lord Haw Haw’ Joyce, and the East End gangster Reggie Kray.

Joint owners of the Bow Street site, the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) and the Metropolitan Police Authority yesterday confirmed they had signed a binding contract with Edward Holdings.

It has previously been reported that the company’s owner, Gerry Barrett, planned to convert the building into a boutique hotel but a spokeswoman for Edward Holdings declined to comment on current plans.

“Gerry Barrett is keen to stress that Bow Street’s unique history will be respected during the building’s redevelopment,” she said. “Edward Holdings is fully aware of the architectural and historical significance of the buildings in Bow Street and is committed to their sympathetic redevelopment.”