At a glance
Harrow Council plans legal action against Mayor Sadiq Khan over the closure of Pinner Police Station’s volunteer-run front desk, which would leave the borough without any in-person police counter.
Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Sadiq Khan argue closures are based on data and public consultation, saying funds are better spent on frontline policing and crime prevention rather than underused front desks.
Both Conservative and Labour councillors in Harrow have launched petitions opposing the closures, citing the impact on vulnerable residents’ access to policing and community safety, despite falling rates of some crimes across London.
A North London council is set to begin legal proceedings against the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan over plans to close what would be the borough’s last remaining police station front desk.
Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said front counters are “not doing a massive amount” to keep Londoners safe but Harrow Council Leader Paul Osborn has called the decision “wholly irresponsible”.
Last month, the Met confirmed that only 27 police front counters will remain open across London, down from the current 37, in a move expected to save the force around £7m. Just two, at Lewisham and Charing Cross, will continue to operate 24 hours a day.
One of those facing the axe is the volunteer-led front desk at Pinner Police Station, which, after the announcement of the closure of Harrow Police Station’s front counter in September, would mean Harrow residents would have to go outside of the borough to access direct support.
Sir Mark said the decision was based on public consultation and data about how crime is reported. Speaking at the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, he said: “If more money fell into our lap from the Chancellor, there’s lots of other things we would be spending money on – fighting knife crime, neighbourhood policing – before front counters.”
He added: “The data is clear – they’re not doing a massive amount to keep Londoners safe compared to extra police officers patrolling neighbourhoods fighting crime.”
Sir Sadiq had previously pledged to keep at least one 24-hour counter open in each London borough but has since supported the Met’s revised plans, insisting: “When the facts change, I change my mind.”
Both Harrow Conservative and Labour Groups have created petitions calling for the Met to reverse its decision to close both front desks, which, combined, have been signed by hundreds of residents. If the plan goes ahead, it will mean the closest front desk for residents in the area would likely be in Wembley, Brent.
Harrow Conservatives, which control the council, said: “For older and more vulnerable residents, accessible local policing is essential […]. With crime on the rise in London, this feels wholly irresponsible.”
City Hall data shows knife crime dropped by 19 per cent between April and June this year compared with the same period last year, while the number of residential burglaries, personal thefts and personal robberies also fell.
However, some offences, such as possession of weapons, rape and drug trafficking, all increased in that period. Overall recorded crime has increased by 31.5 per cent in the Metropolitan Police area of London in the last 10 years, with violent crime increasing by 40 per cent, according to official crime data.
Harrow Council Leader Paul Osborn has said the local authority “will be issuing a pre-action letter to begin legal proceedings” against what he described as “short-sighted cuts”.
The councillor added: “This move strips our borough of vital, in-person access to policing – leaving residents without direct access to support, advice or protection. It’s unacceptable and undermines our vision for a borough that is clean and safe, and a place where those in need are supported.
“While the financial pressures facing the police are real, these counters are lifelines for residents: they offer immediate help, build trust, and provide safety to people at risk or in crisis. Their removal threatens the very principle of accessible policing.”
Labour councillors had launched their own petition back in August, also calling for the Met to cancel its proposals to close Harrow’s remaining police station front desks.
The council’s Shadow Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Councillor Peymana Assad, said the group would also have begun legal proceedings against the decision if it had access to the necessary resources.
Cllr Assad added: “As the opposition party on Harrow Council, within hours of hearing the news of the police front desk closures, we immediately took steps to start a public campaign and lobby decision makers against the proposals.
“We have no access to the Council’s legal resources- however, if this was an option for us, we would have taken all necessary steps available to us back in August. […] I continue to urge the Metropolitan police to reverse the current front desk closure proposals.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe and Sadiq is determined to support Sir Mark Rowley deliver a New Met for London with neighbourhood policing at the heart of communities.
“The news that more police front counters will remain open – with extended opening hours – is welcome, but any change to the number of front counters or their opening times is ultimately an operational decision for the Met, based on resources, funding and public demand for services.
“The Mayor will continue to support the Met to deliver what Londoners want – boosting visible neighbourhood policing on our streets as well as having ongoing discussions with Ministers and the Commissioner about the funding the Met needs to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone.”
