New shops at the heart of the Wembley redevelopment will have to install specialist safes following police recommendations.

The units in Wembley Park Boulevard, in the shadow of the national stadium, will be rented out by area developer Quintain.

Police officers recommended the shops install safes to protect cash and staff.

They suggested that ‘time delay’ safes are used but noted that some shops favour ‘drop-down’ safes, which allow money to be deposited without opening them.

The recommendations came following an “increase in commercial robberies” – including two instances where a knife was pulled before money was stolen, and the murder of a shopkeeper in Pinner.

“I do appreciate that there is a cost factor, but we would like to see time delay safes installed to help protect staff,” said the Met’s Damian Smith.

He explained that this will deter thieves, who in most cases would not have time to wait for the safes to open.

Alun Thomas, of Thomas and Thomas, representing Quintain, suggested that this could have the opposite effect when robbers are angered by the lack of reward.

“People who are going to commit these crimes would do so anyway – a safe would not stop them happening unless there was a huge sign on the door highlighting that one is installed,” he said.

“Something could happen out of pure frustration – is it better for them to take the money or for somebody to be put at risk?”

Quintain added that, in four years, there have been no serious criminal incidents at the nearby London Designer Outlet, notwithstanding pickpocketing and shoplifting.

But Mr Smith said that in the past three years, there have been four commercial robberies at Brent Cross Shopping Centre – sometimes involving people going up escalators on mopeds.

This, he explained, shows that criminals are not afraid to target large shopping areas.

Brent Council’s licencing committee sided with the police on this issue and, in granting licences to Quintain, stated that a time delay safe in each shop is a “necessary measure”.