A CONSORTIUM responsible for purchasing all fleet vehicles for the Thames Valley and Bedfordshire police forces has ordered 70 new diesel Astras – part of a bigger order for 300 vehicles over the next three years.

The Chiltern Transport Consortium is responsible for a combined fleet of about 1,200 cars and placed its order with Vauxhall Special Vehicle Operations.

Chiltern fleet operations manager Dave McDonald said: ‘We chose the new Astra after careful consideration of the marketplace and a number of evaluations, coupled with wholelife ‘police use’ costing exercises.’