Wandsworth is to lose 15 police officers under a new allocation formula with a supposed no losers' criteria.
Over the next few months the number of police on the beat in the borough will fall from 565 to 550, despite an expected influx of up to 60 officers between February and April.
The announcement by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) this week has provoked anger from the council and surprise from top cop borough commander Martin Jauch.
Chief Superintendent Jauch said: "I am disappointed because we all expected the manpower of the borough would greatly increase over the year."
Each borough has been allocated officers based on the highest number of police it had between March and April this year, for Wandsworth that was 550.
But since then an extra 15 officers have been recruited, who will now have to be lost.
December 14, 2001 11:00
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