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It is a three-storey, redbrick building with smoked glass windows and a touch of the postmodern in the design. There are not many police stations in Italy as smart as this one, which could be why the patrolmen at the door are wearing such broad smiles.

Too good to be true? Absolutely. This, according to the Italian government, is Europe's first "virtual" police station. The interior minister, Giuseppe Pisanu, launched the online project yesterday, calling it "the latest achievement in close-up policing". The website - Commissariatodips.it - can be used to report crime, get advice, and turn "cyber nark" by registering a nickname and passing on tips anonymously.

Initially, the site offers a full range of services only to those wanting to report online crime. Maurizio Masciopinto, who developed it and is the head of the criminal investigation division of Italy's postal police, said he hoped the virtual station would attract tip-offs on child pornography sites and electronic fraud such as identity theft.