More community police bases will be closed down, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

The Met’s Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) hubs in East Finchley and Golders Green will be shut down “soon” as the leases on the buildings are due to expire.

It follows the closure of the SNT base in Vivian Avenue, Hendon, in July.

The teams will continue to operate, however, and the Met is looking for new bases to replace the ones at 113 High Road and 61 Golders Green Road.

Each SNT base houses dedicated police officers who work with the community and get extra support from officers in the wider area.

The closure of the sites – which is taking place across London – aims to free up £10 million that can be used to keep overall police numbers above 30,000.

At a meeting of Finchley and Golders Green residents’ forum on September 5, neighbours hit by a crimewave on Winnington Road, Hampstead Garden Suburb, raised concerns about the closures.

One man said he had been told the bases would shut in November, adding it “effectively leaves us without any kind of local policing”.

The Metropolitan Police did not give an exact date for the closures of the East Finchley and Golders Green bases.

Safer neighbourhoods inspector for Barnet Jason Moseley said: “I can confirm that the lease for Golders Green Community Base and East Finchley ends soon.

“The properties were highlighted for closure under the review conducted by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime – Public Access and Engagement Strategy.

“Premises such as council buildings, libraries and schools are being considered as viable alternatives.”

Inspector Moseley said the public would still be able to meet police officers at community contact points.

He added there is a front counter at Colindale Police station that is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Met is increasingly using mobile technology to work away from police stations and allows people to report crimes online via its website.

Cllr Arjun Mittra (Labour), East Finchley, said: “I would regret the loss of the base, but it isn’t generally used as a public contact point, and we use other means to communicate with the SNT.

“Unfortunately, due to the austerity cuts that were started by the Lib Dem and Conservative government, the Met are having to cut costs in order to maintain front line policing.

“While I regret the loss of the base, it is preferable to losing police officers. We will only be able to see more investment in the police when the government changes and austerity ends.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Government is committed to recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers over the next three years, to support the frontline.

“The Metropolitan Police are receiving over £2.7 billion in funding in 2019-20, with an increase of more than £175 million on 2018-19.”

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