CHRISTMAS cards are arriving on the doormats of criminals across the borough but confusingly the cards bear a festive greeting from Lewisham Police.

Scores of the cards have been hand-delivered by uniformed officers to let local villains know the boys in blue have not forgotten them during the season of goodwill.

Deputy borough commander Supt Jeff Harris said: "This is just a quick reminder to those people known to us in the borough that we haven't forgotten them this Christmas.

"The cards are all recycled from last year, so they cost the taxpayer nothing."

The initiative comes after a tough year for the force, which has struggled to cope with extra pressure created by September 11.

Officers across the Metropolitan area, including Lewisham, were drafted into the capital forcing Lewisham police to pay its remaining force extra overtime.

And on top of this, growing problems with violent disorder at Millwall's football ground, cost the force a small fortune.

It has already cost as much to police the ground since August, this year as it did during the entire 2000/2001 season.

Supt Harris explained: "Youngsters causing trouble at the ground have hit us pretty hard this year. Policing the Cardiff match cost us £75,000 alone.

"The hooligans' attitude towards officers is often so bad, that rather than sending six officers into the stand to remove somebody, we have to send 30 to ensure the officers aren't assaulted."

Lewisham police are significantly in the red after the year's expenses and now have until February to get their books in order for the end of the financial year in April.

And despite an extra 1,000 officers being recruited by the Met this year, Lewisham will be fighting crime with even less personnel in 2002, following a Home Office decision.

But Supt Harris says there is no way people should fear for their safety over the Christmas period, as it will be business as usual at the borough's police stations.

"This initiative of hand-delivering Christmas cards to known criminals is our way of reminding them that we never forget. We know where they live and will be keeping an eye on them this Christmas, whatever the cost."

December 28, 2001 16:00