Limehouse police station could close

Det Supt Steve Bending defended the idea, saying: “It’s important for people to know that this isn’t a plan to reduce policing in Tower Hamlets. It’s about reorganising ourselves to ensure we can cope with policing in the 21st century.

“We want to close the current police station because it’s not fit in its current state as it’s 60 years old. But we
do want a front-desk service in Limehouse. It could be at the current place or could not; that has yet to be decided.”

Some critics have accused the police of a lack of foresight in putting forward suggested station closures at Limehouse and Bow without suggesting possible replacements.

Tower Hamlets councillor Azizur Rahman Khan (Lib Dem) said: “We are concerned that replacement sites for police facilities have not been found although the police have already decided to close the stations.”

A three-month consultation period began before Christmas and interested parties have just a week left, until February 15, to register their views.

The consultation is part of a wider Metropolitan Police Authority asset management plan for London.
Anyone who lives or works in the borough can give their views. See www.met.police.uk/towerhamlets.

The news coincides with Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, praising the latest policing figures for the area.

Speaking last week, he said the increased number of officers in Tower Hamlets had drastically reduced crime.

“The results of 323 more police on the beat in Tower Hamlets streets since 2000 is there for all to see, with crime falling by almost 2 per cent last year,” he said.