Proposals that would see Bexleyheath police station sold off and services moved to Sidcup have been blasted by Bexleyheath and Crayford MP David Evennett.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has put forward a consultation that proposes cutting front counter services to fund frontline improvements.

According to the consultation, the Met faces £400m of cuts by 2021 as a result of the Government’s 'failure to properly fund the police service'.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The huge Government cuts to the Metropolitan Police Service have left us with no choice but to take drastic action to protect the frontline of policing.

“My top priority is keeping Londoners safe, and every pound saved by closing a front counter is a pound of savings that we do not have to find by reducing the frontline.

“By freeing up officers and moving them closer to their communities, they will be able to spend more time on the beat to tackle the issues that matter most to Londoners, such as knife crime, anti-social behaviour, hate crime and extremism, and domestic abuse.”

The proposals claim that £170 million capital would be raised from closing counters that could be used to free up officers to spend more time on the frontline.

Mr Khan’s proposals would include selling off Bexleyheath station, where the 24/7 front counter is, and moving the service to Marlowe House, which is currently used as a daytime facility.

At the year ending in March 2017, Bexley had a lower crime rate on average when compared to surrounding areas.

Stats show that there were little over 50 reported crimes per 1,000 people in the borough.

David Evennett, Conservative MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, has voiced his criticisms about the proposals.

He said: “I am very concerned by suggestion from the Labour Mayor of London that Bexleyheath Police Station could close and be sold.”

“This is an ill-thought proposal and I urge Mr Khan to reconsider. Bexleyheath Police Station is in the centre of our Borough and is easily accessible for residents.

“Closing this station counter would be unacceptable and very unwise, especially in view of current security concerns.”

A spokeswoman for Bexley Council said: “We will be responding to the Mayor’s consultation but we would expect that there will continue to be a 24/7 counter service in the centre of Bexley as valued by our residents.”

According to statistics given by the Mayor of London, a further £400m of savings are needed by 2022 and that 37 per cent of Londoners would ideally use online reporting methods.

The consultation is open to the public until October 6 and can be accessed online here.