Met confirm both Merton’s police stations closing to public in February
Residents across Merton are set to lose public access to both of their police stations, under plans signed off by Sadiq Khan. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that front counters at Wimbledon and Mitcham police stations will close on Saturday 28th February.
In a letter published on 30th January, the Met confirmed that neither station will retain a public-facing front counter. This directly contradicts the Labour Mayor’s explicit promise that every London borough would retain at least one 24-hour police counter.
As a result, Merton residents needing face-to-face access to the police will now be forced to travel outside the borough, with the nearest 24/7 police counters in Charing Cross and Lewisham.
Local residents have already made their opposition clear. Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler and Merton Liberal Democrats are campaigning to keep our police stations fully open, launching a petition that has already attracted thousands of local signatures.
Despite this strength of local feeling, Merton’s Labour Council has failed to meaningfully challenge the closures, unlike neighbouring Richmond, where Liberal Democrat councillors are actively fighting to protect their last public-facing police station.
Residents have been confused by Merton Labour's recent claims that Mitcham and Wimbledon police stations had been ‘saved’, seemingly trying to spin the lack of immediate plans to sell the buildings as a success.
Leader of Merton Liberal Democrats Councillor Anthony Fairclough said:
“People have been let down over cuts to local policing. We have a Labour Government, Labour Mayor of London and Labour Council bosses - but none have stood up for local people. This means residents will lose the ability to report crimes face-to-face, or seek other help at their local police stations.”
Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler said:
“In 2018, I used legal action to stop Sadiq Khan closing Wimbledon Police Station.
Now, Lib Dem colleagues on Richmond Council are doing the same to protect their last public-facing police station.
It’s disappointing that Merton’s Labour Council won’t do the same for our borough.”
Further reading
The Met police letter confirming the closures of Wimbledon and Mitcham police front counters can be found here.
