Massive changes could come to policing in Kingston in May, with the force possibly merging with Richmond, Merton and Wandsworth.

The four boroughs would come under one Basic Command Unit (BCU), with the senior leadership team based in the Kingston headquarters.

An anonymous serving officer from Kingston said they had been told there will no longer be any response police stationed in the borough, and they will instead be moved to Twickenham.

The whistle-blower said: “Kingston will become like the Ark Royal – a flagship aircraft carrier with no aircraft.

“The general consensus is they need the office and carparking space for the senior staff.

“It will have a major impact on public safety. For example, a 999 call where someone is at risk – you need police there as soon as possible.

“If there’s someone in Surbiton who’s being burgled, or there’s a domestic violence incident, in rush hour traffic it could take officers too long to get there.”

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said response police will continue to patrol the borough, and local changes “will be made as deemed most operationally appropriate.”

She also said in October two chief superintendents were put in “shadow” BCU commander roles in Kingston, and work has begun to “ensure that whatever final decisions are made, operational policing which is responsive to local needs continues to be best delivered there.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan set up pilot schemes in Camden and Islington, and Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge in April 2017.

He made the decision in a context of heavy cuts to the Metropolitan Police budget by central government.

But it is not yet known how much the scheme is likely to save – an evaluation of the pilots is expected soon.

Kingston and Surbiton MP Sir Ed Davey said: “I’m extremely concerned. There is a real danger that the needs of Kingston – with the town centre, Chessington, Surbiton and Worcester Park, will become secondary to the needs of boroughs like Merton and Wandsworth.

“Key police officers could end up miles away from our local community, having to deal with more traffic congestion than they are currently facing.

“With the cuts to police numbers we have seen in the last two years in Kingston and across the Met, our already overstretched police will be run ragged.”

For the scheme to go ahead on May 23, it will have to be agreed upon by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, said: “No formal decision has been taken around the proposed Borough Command Unit mergers. However, the government’s continued cuts to police budgets since 2010 mean change is needed in order to function with fewer police officers in the future.

“Even with the Mayor’s planned increase to Council Tax, the government settlement represents another real-terms cut to resources as costs and pressures continue to rise.

“We are aware of the concerns around these proposals and the pathfinder boroughs are being evaluated as we strive to maintain the safety of Londoners.”