Lib Dems back legal challenge against the closure of over half of London’s police stations

Liberal Democrats back legal challenge against the closure of over half of London’s police stations.

On 25 January, Wimbledon resident Paul Kohler, formally launched a legal challenge to the London Mayor’s plans to close 37 police stations across the capital.

The legal challenge is seeking permission to take the decision to close more than half of the current police stations in London to Judicial Review. Lawyers acting on half of Mr Kohler have argued that the public consultation and consequent decision were legally flawed and unlawful.

Mr Kohler, who was subjected to a vicious attack in his home in 2014, believes he only survived because police officers were able to get to his house from the local station in Wimbledon, one of the 37 police stations under threat of closure.

Commenting, Paul Kohler, a SOAS University academic said:

“The Mayor’s plan to remove police stations from the heart of many communities is a short-sighted and unimaginative response to the funding crisis caused by the Government’s equally misguided decision to slash the Metropolitan Police budget.”

Supporting his challenge London Liberal Democrat MP and Spokesperson on Home Affairs, Ed Davey said:

“The Conservatives decision to continue slashing the police budget has left police forces up and down the country forced to decide between keeping officers on the beat or closing community police stations.

"But London’s Labour Mayor can’t simply hide behind these Conservative cuts. Mayor Khan’s top priority must be to keep Londoners safe and use every means to do that.

"With robbery, knife and gun crime on the increase