Nearly 1,500 people have signed a petition to ‘save’ Sutton police after the Met Police announced its controversial merger plans last week.

Sutton police force is set to merge with Croydon and Bromley into one - operating as a Basic Command Unit (BCU) - with just one commander in charge, following the announcement by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on February 12.

Now the campaign, launched by the Sutton Liberal Democrats, has received 1,447 signatures at the time of writing since its launch on February 14.

Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake said: “The Mayor’s announcement has raised many eyebrows in Sutton. Residents know that if the merger goes ahead, police resources will undoubtedly be diverted away from Sutton to Croydon. We need more, not fewer, police officers on our streets.

It comes as the Met races to save £325 million by the end of 2022 and, by April, London could have officers cut to 30,000.

Councillor Ruth Dombey, Sutton Council’s leader, added: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the immediate response. The fact that so many residents have already supported our campaign shows how strongly local people oppose the plans of Labour’s London Mayor.”