Boris Johnson criticised for closing Streatham police station – just yards from terror attack – when London mayor in 2015

Residents have slammed Boris Johnson’s decision to close a police station just yards from where the Streatham terror attack took place.

The building of the former Streatham police station, which stands on the corner of Shrubbery Road and Streatham High Road, is just 140 yards from where the attack took place on Sunday, but was sold off in 2015 to a private buyer for £4.2million when Mr Johnson was London Mayor.

A shopfront police counter 500 yards from the scene attack, which replaced it, was closed by his mayoral successor, Sadiq Khan, in 2017.

Streatham police station was closed in 2013 when he was mayor.

It's in view of the incident.

I've lived here 43 years – seen with my own eyes many incidents de-escalate cos the police were just there. https://t.co/eIGvc4UcGU

— Meryl O'Rourke (@MerylORourke) February 2, 2020

The #Streatham terror incident happened metres away from the police station which was closed, and sold, without public consultation when Boris Johnson was London Mayor in 2013. It's uncanny. My thoughts are with anyone affected by today's events. pic.twitter.com/CY7EG4vsmH

— Nadine White (@Nadine_Writes) February 2, 2020

Boris….have you ever been to Streatham before…..did you care about Streatham before today's events…..we have a police station closed down and sold off almost opposite where today's atrocities happened. We don't see police policing the streets

— Nads (@twinit) February 2, 2020

In March 2014, when the decision to close the station had taken place, Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon started a petition to keep it open.

At the time she said: “We hereby call on Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London, and the Metropolitan Police, to reverse their decision to close and to sell off Streatham police station – a decision that was taken without any public consultation.

“We believe that it is totally unacceptable that a community the size of Streatham, with more than 50,000 inhabitants, should be left without a fully-functioning police station.

“We are very concerned that the closure means much more than the loss of bricks and mortar. It could result in a serious reduction in the number of police officers based in Streatham.

“We therefore call for the Streatham police station to be re-opened and reinstated as a fully-functioning police station, open to the public 24-hours-a-day, as it was before this summer.”

In response to Ms Pidgeon’s petition, Mr Johnson responded:  “We explained that the station would not meet the longer term policing needs of the MPS, and that the existing front counter facilities provided there would be replaced at an alternative location.

“I am happy to say that this is still the situation, and work is taking place at 328 Streatham High Road – a short distance from the existing station.”

Since 2010, 42 police stations and front counters in South London have closed.

Pidgeon said: “The need to have accessible police stations is necessary for every community in London.

“A continued police station in Streatham would have served as a major point of reassurance for the public at such a critical time.

“On an ongoing basis they also have a key role in ensuring that people can easily contact the police and that community policing is a reality.”

Pictured top is Streatham police station (Picture: Stephen Richards).