After nearly half a century in Cathedral Square, Christchurch’s former police kiosk will be demolished this week.

The removal will make way for the relocation of the Citizens’ War Memorial into the Square.

The kiosk has been a feature in the Square since the 1970s and was used for a number of different purposes.

Cathedral Square had a bad reputation after dark in the early 1980s and many people avoided it at night.

Police used the kiosk from 1986 and was staffed mainly by volunteers.

The police presence in the Square was maintained for more than 30 years, including through the period following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, when the public could not access much of the central city.

When Christchurch’s new central police station opened in 2017, police decided not to renew the kiosk’s lease with the Council and the building was vacated.

It is the last remaining design feature of the 1970s rebuild of Square.