A brand new Morden police station remains closed to the public four months after it was officially opened.

Critics claim Metropolitan Police red tape has prevented officers opening a public counter in the Abberconway Road station, that houses the area’s safer neighbourhood team.

Instead it has remained concealed behind shutters since November while residents are forced to walk out of the town centre to an existing office in Crown Parade that cannot be moved into the new facility.

Morden councillor Stephen Alambritis described the situation as an “embarrassment” and has lobbied Mayor Boris Johnson to intervene.

Coun Alambritis said: “It’s locked up and a total embarrassment. This was supposed to be a successor to the Morden police office and it’s in a much better location, but they can’t move the counter in Crown Parade because statistically it would count as a police station closure.”

Merton’s borough commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Bourlet, said efforts were being made to move the police counter into the Abberconway Road station but he was unable to say when this could be done.

He said: “As it stands, it’s not a police shop and there’s some confusion over this.

"Morden police office in Crown Parade is still open for business.

“It might look like a police station but at the moment it doesn’t have a front counter facility.

"We now have a second base in Morden and that houses the area’s safer neighbourhood team and Merton’s safer transport team is also based there.”

He added: “We’re looking at the possibility of moving a public facility to the new offices and I agree it’s in a more prominent location - that’s why we went for the site.”