Sadiq Khan signals a rethink on closures as Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers steps up her criticism of his “massively cynical” Uxbridge police station u-turn reports David Floyd

Sadiq Khan at Mayor's Question Time — Under pressure – Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is facing calls from Theresa Villiers to keep Barnet police station open

The Mayor of London may be reconsidering his decision to close 37 London police stations as a local MP continues her campaign to keep Barnet’s building open.

Chipping Barnet MP Theresa Villiers spoke in a late-night debate in parliament on Monday to reiterate calls for the mayor to save Barnet police station, after he announced a u-turn on the premises in Uxbridge following the intervention of Labour’s by-election candidate.

Villiers told MPs: “It would be massively cynical if the Mayor’s police station u-turn were to be confined to just to Uxbridge.

“I therefore take this opportunity once again to call on Mayor Khan to remove the threat to Barnet police station and confirm that its future is secure, along with other stations under threat around the capital.”

Referring to Baroness Louise Casey’s recently published review of behaviour and standards with the Metropolitan Police Service she added: “At a time when culture and conduct at the Met has come under huge scrutiny, we should not be persisting with disposals from the police station estate calculated to make officers less connected to one another, more isolated, and more distant from the communities they serve.”

Indications from City Hall are that the mayor may now be rethinking his position in light of the Casey Review.

Responding to the Villiers’ comments, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London told Barnet Post that: “The Met has been clear that their Estate Strategy will reflect ongoing decisions they are taking around workforce, organisational reform, and neighbourhood policing.

Adding: “The Mayor is also aware of the strength of opinion in local communities and the feedback from local residents that police stations make their neighbourhoods feel safer.

“Given the Casey Review findings about the need to invigorate frontline policing, deliver on local priorities and in the light of additional Mayoral investment in PSCOs, the Mayor believes that there is now a stronger case for the Met retaining more police buildings than previously envisaged.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.