Merton Council pushed to take action over police station closure threats
- At last night’s council meeting, Merton Lib Dems pushed for measures to defend local policing and hold Labour to account.
- Lib Dems slammed Labour councillors for trying to avoid blaming the Labour Mayor for policing cuts he initiated and kept quiet from the public
- Over 900 crimes a year* are reported in person at Wimbledon and Mitcham stations, vital services now at risk
Merton Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour-run Council of failing to stand up for residents after the Mayor of London announced plans to cut services at Wimbledon and Mitcham Police Stations, including closing front counters.
Despite being an incredibly safe borough, with crimes such as shoplifting, drug offences and sexual offences on the rise in Merton**, and officers spending less time patrolling the streets***, this is another blow to neighbourhood policing. These cuts raise fears of eventual full closure of these police stations.
At last night’s (Wednesday 17th September 2025) Council meeting, Lib Dem councillors pressed Labour to hold the Mayor to account for cuts he is initiating. Yet Labour councillors tried to deflect blame, despite revelations from Liberal Democrat London Assembly Members that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Policing knew about the closure plans as early as November last year, but kept them hidden until July.
In January, Merton Liberal Democrats pushed the Council administration to defend Wimbledon and Mitcham police stations as the Mayor developed his plans for policing - and spoke about the importance of lobbying for a police base in Morden too.
Labour councillors voted against this, and it was later revealed that Labour council bosses failed to mention the importance of local police bases in building community policing in its submission to the Mayor’s consultation. This only became public following an FOI decision.
Wimbledon’s MP Cllr Paul Kohler and Liberal Democrat councillors have a strong track record of defending local policing****. To hold Labour to account, Merton Lib Dems forced a debate on the future of local policing last night. They pushed for measures to keep front counters open, reduce the extraction of Merton’s officers to other boroughs, and restore community policing, including new resident-led advisory groups focused on violence against women and girls (VAWG).
Commenting after the meeting, Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler said:
“The Mayor of London and the Met have conducted three consultations that brought the future of Wimbledon & Mitcham police stations into question. Merton Lib Dems, formally responded on each occasion, unlike Labour and the Conservatives.
In the first neither Labour, nor the Tories, made any submission on behalf of Wimbledon; whilst in the second the Labour Party were even less interested and submitted nothing whatsoever; whilst the formal Council response made no mention of either Wimbledon or Mitcham police stations - in a submission that was not made public until we resorted to an FOI! It sums up this do-nothing Labour Council - failing to deliver, and hiding from scrutiny.”
Commenting, Raynes Park Councillor Victoria Wilson said:
“Closing front counters at Wimbledon and Mitcham puts vital services at risk, especially for vulnerable people who rely on face-to-face reporting. With shoplifting and other crime rising locally and fewer officers on our streets, now is the worst possible time to cut local policing. Labour knew these plans were coming but chose to stay silent, Merton Liberal Democrats will not.”
ENDS
Further reading:
*In a letter written to Paul Kohler MP, Commander Hayley Stewart revealed that 2.5 crimes per day are reported at Wimbledon and Mitcham Police Stations, on average.
**Recent figures underline the urgency: shoplifting in Merton is up 46% in the past year, sexual offences up 15%, and drug possession up 8%. Data on crime increases in Merton are contained in the Extraordinary Meeting Appendix A to Full Council on 17th September.
***Officers spent 14,492 hours policing outside the borough in the first half of 2025, a 58% rise from last year, leaving fewer police on local streets when residents need them most.
****In 2018 Paul Kohler successfully prevented the closure of Wimbledon Police Station by taking the case to the High Court.