Proposals that could spell the closure of Mitcham police station have been condemned in the latest concerns raised about Merton’s police force.

Councillor Jeff Hanna, who represents Pollards Hill ward in Mitcham, wrote to Merton police’s borough commander, Chief Superintendent Dick Wolfenden, to voice concerns over the potential sale of Mitcham police station.

The change would leave Wimbledon police station as Merton’s only remaining police station, which Coun Hanna said was part of a London-wide strategy for each borough to have only one police station each.

Coun Hanna said: “This would seriously disadvantage residents in Pollards Hill and other Mitcham wards. Anyone who wanted help at a police station would have a journey of up to an hour.

“This is totally unacceptable, especially for vulnerable residents.

"People have a right to know their local police stations are under threat, and should call councillors, MPs, the mayor and police to lobby for police stations to be kept open.”

A police spokesman said no decisions had yet been taken on closing police stations or their front counters across London.

He said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is seeking to make best use of all of its buildings including police stations.

“The current agreement is if the Metropolitan Police Authority decides to dispose of a building with a front counter, this will be relocated in the vicinity.”

Last week, Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh welcomed what she described as a u-turn after a sergeant was appointed to run Longthornton ward in Mitcham after months of the position being vacant, suggesting a medium-tern strategy to merge safer neighbourhood teams across the borough had been shelved.

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