SE1 to lose both Southwark and Kennington police front counters

Kennington Police Station in Kennington Road is to be sold off, whilst Southwark Police Station in Borough High Street will remain in place but without any public access.

For Lambeth, the only police station offering a front counter service will be in Brixton, whilst Southwark's 24-hour station will be in Walworth.

The police 'contact point' at County Hall on the South Bank will be discontinued.

The Met also plans to sell its building in Mandela Way.

"The huge Government cuts to the Metropolitan Police Service have left us with no choice but to take drastic action to protect the front line of policing," said Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

"My top priority is keeping Londoners safe, and every pound saved by closing a front counter is a pound of savings that we do not have to find by reducing the front line.

"By freeing up officers and moving them closer to their communities, they will be able to spend more time on the beat to tackle the issues that matter most to Londoners, such as knife crime, anti-social behaviour, hate crime and extremism, and domestic abuse.

"We will still be able to maintain a 24/7 front counter service in every borough and are improving the telephone and online services that Londoners value so highly.

"The Government urgently needs to properly fund the Met police so that they can do their job and keep Londoners safe."

Conservative members of the London Assembly claim that the Mayor's team drew up the plans to close front counters before details of Government funding were known.

The public consultation will last three months. Full details at www.london.gov.uk/public-access