British singer Ed Sheeran has spent more than $1.6 million (£1 million) on a former police station which he plans to turn into a youth centre for his hometown.

The A Team hitmaker splashed the cash on the property in Suffolk, England with the aim of turning it into a centre for local youngsters like the youth club where he honed his musical talents as a kid.

Sheeran tell Britain's The Sun on Sunday newspaper, "I'm really excited about the project. I had a youth club from when I was 12 when I grew up and they did a battle of the bands every week and that's where I and other bands started playing.

"Then the land the club was on was sold... and I just went off to London and did shows instead. Now there's no youth club and nothing to do so it's a bad situation. The plan when I get older is to end up running that (the youth club) - so I have pretty much planned my retirement."