Residents fight to save Notting Hill police station in wake of Grenfell tragedy

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Notting Hill residents fighting to save the area’s police station today claimed the proposed closure risked “severing ties” with the community following the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The Met is considering selling the site off Ladbroke Grove, which costs £400,000 to run, as part of the force’s efforts to find £400 million of savings by 2020. Police chiefs believe the site is worth £12 million.

Scotland Yard plans to shut half of the capital’s police stations and investigate more crimes by telephone and online. It argues that just eight per cent of all crimes are reported at front counters, compared with 22 per cent in 2006.

Paul Warnett, acting borough commander for Kensington and Chelsea, told a packed public meeting that Notting Hill station’s 24/7 counter was visited by less than one person per hour and received only four crime reports per day.

Grenfell Tower aftermath – In pictures

But residents gathered at St John’s Church spoke of their desire to preserve a public point of contact in the wake of the June 14 fire at Grenfell, less than a mile from the police station.

Mr Warnett responded: “If the decision is made for Notting Hill to be sold, that will not impact on the policing in the north of the borough.”

Resident Jessica Jones said: “We’re really tired of having the fabric of our community asset-stripped.”

An online petition to save the station has gathered more than 1,500 signatures. A public consultation on the closure runs until October 6.