A scheme that provides councils with extra police officers could be under threat as the Mayor of London reviews police funding in the capital.

Under the Patrol Plus scheme, also known as ‘buy one, get one free’, the Metropolitan Police funds a police officer for each one paid for by a local authority.

It was adopted by Brent in 2017 to tackle specific criminal activity in the area.

But Sadiq Khan and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) are thought to be assessing the scheme’s viability in the face of budget restraints.

Cllr Tom Miller, responsible for stronger communities at Brent Council, said it would work to protect residents in the face of any officer cuts.

He said: “We introduced the scheme to target specific criminal behaviour as we put the safety of our residents first.

“At the moment, there is still a lot of discussion around the funding of the scheme across the Met.

“We do not support government cuts to funding for London’s police officers – they could damage the value of Brent’s investment in this localised team.

“However this turns out in the months to come, will do our best to ensure that Brent residents are still supported around crime and safety, and that they are secure and happy where they live.”

While praising the increased visibility of police on the streets, Metropolitan Police chiefs have expressed concerns about the scheme’s flexibility.

They noted that if officers are given designated target areas, it is difficult to utilise them for other demands which could be deemed more pressing, such as violent crime.

It comes after an organisational shake-up, which has seen several commands across London merge into ‘borough command units’ to cover a larger area.

In north-west London, Barnet, Brent and Harrow are now covered by a single unit.

As discussions over the Patrol Plus scheme continue, the Met said it is working with MOPAC to devise a replacement programme which would continue councils’ access to extra officers.