Richmond is to get 10 extra police officers following the approval of the Mets new policing formula.

The final figures were hammered out at the Metropolitan Police Authoritys meeting on Monday and have been greeted with dismay in Richmond.

The under-manned division had been hoping to receive up to 30 officers under the formula and had argued for additional resources.

But despite the disappointment, Richmonds acting chief superintendent, Mark Toland, said the borough had not lost out.

He said the extra officers would bring the division back up to full strength.

Police chiefs in the borough have been looking at where the new officers might be best employed to allow the division to keep meeting its targets for reducing burglary and car crime.

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable expressed his concern that the formula had not truly recognised the need for greater police resources in boroughs like Richmond.

He said: It could have been worse, but I am very disappointed that we havent come out of this exercise with more of a recognition that police numbers have been denuded locally to dangerously low levels to provide officers for more lawless parts of London.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is proposing to fund 800 extra police officers in the capital, which could boost Richmonds numbers further.

Proposals to introduce police auxiliaries have also been welcomed in principle.

The leader of Richmond Council, Councillor Serge Lourie, said the idea of having more officers on the beat was good.

But he stressed that Richmond needed to continue lobbying for greater police resources.