MP Backing for Met Commissioner's Pledge of Extra Police

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Jul 2003

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens pledged this week to recruit 6500 more extra officers, bringing the London force up to 35,000.

He promised further more that in every ward in London there would be foot patrols of police officers.

Vincent Cable, MP, who also chairs the All Party Police Group, said that he "strongly supported" the Commissioner's initiative but warned that there were two major stumbling blocks:

"First, it is important to be clear that extra police numbers should be primarily financed from the national exchequer and not be adding to local council tax."

"Second, a fair share of the additional officers should be allocated to suburban London areas like Hampton, Whitton and Twickenham: not, as now, largely confined to central London."

"Local council tax payers would not take kindly to being asked

to pay for more police officers whom they never see".