By Anthony France

Copyright standard

Liberal Democrats have voted for a police counter in every community amid anger at the Metropolitan Police’s imminent closure of half in London to save money.

Twickenham MP Munira Wilson called for a raft of new measures to change policing in England and Wales at the party’s conference in Bournemouth.

If the number of front desks is reduced from 37 to 19, it will break Scotland Yard’s pledge to have one accessible 24 hours a day in each of the capital’s 32 boroughs.

In a desperate attempt to balance a £260 million budget shortfall, leaked plans show only eight front desk will remain open 24/7, and there will also be reduced hours at 11 with them closing at 10pm weekdays and 7pm weekends.

Many of the police stations would remain in use for officers and police staff but the public would not be able to report crimes or concerns face-to-face.

Those at risk include Chingford, Edmonton, Kentish Town, Kensington, Tottenham, Twickenham, Lavender Hill and Wimbledon.

Ms Wilson said the axing of Twickenham would leave the entire borough of Richmond without a single public access point for local police – meaning the closest open 24 hours will be Acton, Sutton or Lambeth.

There are also concerns those on bail will have to travel miles to report as part of conditions increasing the risk a defendant might abscond.

Ms Wilson added: “Community policing has already suffered death by a thousand cuts, both under the Conservatives and Labour.

“Cutting police station front counters would put yet another nail in the coffin of community policing.

“Maintaining public-facing police counters is vital for building trust, accessibility and relationships with the local community, and Londoners will be rightly asking the Mayor of London why he broke his own promise to maintain a police front counter in every London Borough.

“I’m proud that Liberal Democrats have a real plan for fixing community policing, and we will continue to hold the Government, the Mayor and the Met police to account.”

The Lib Dems also unveiled plans to set up police desks in libraries, shopping centres, town halls and other hubs.

The initiative would “rebuild proper face-to-face policing that people can see, trust and speak to”, the party’s home affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart said.

It would be funding by scrapping police and crime commissioners, elected officials who oversee the budgets and priorities of the various regional forces.

Last week, Sir Sadiq Khan revealed he has been aware of the controversial plans since last year.

The London mayor said the proposals were part of Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s “tough choices” presentation, dating from last November or December, that set out how the force would concentrate on key priorities to cope with a long-term funding crisis.

However, politicians from all parties on the London Assembly say they did not learn of the threat until July.

London Assembly Tory leader Susan Hall said Sir Sadiq “has gone back on his manifesto promises” and the impact would be “devastating” on Londoners and how the city battles crime.

Video screens outside London police stations are being trialled so victims of crime or residents can speak to an officer in a bid to quell fury, says Commander Hayley Sewart.

Cmdr Sewart, of Frontline Policing, said an average of 2.4 crimes are reported per day at Twickenham, 2.5 in Wimbledon and Mitcham, while there are just 3.1 at Lavender Hill.

Around 95 per cent of offences are now reported via phone, online, or directly to officers in the community.

“This shift in public behaviour, coupled with the financial pressures we face, has led us to reassess how best to use our limited resources,” she added.

A Met spokesman said it “is focusing ruthlessly on visible policing on London’s streets, modernising services and increasing visibility in neighbourhoods with over 300 additional PCSOs and over 300 additional officers”.

But Paula Dodds, chair of the rank-and-file Met Police Federation, said: “If we close police station front counters the public can’t have access to us when they need it most.

“We can’t hide behind technology because not everyone has access to technology to call the police or go online to report a crime – they want that personal interaction. The public are going to have to go further to get access to a police station if they need it out of hours.”