Street crime has rocketed in the two months since the terrorist attacks on New York, and a leading GLA member is blaming a lack of funding.

Muggings and snatches have increased by 68 per cent from September to October and by 25 per cent since October last year.

"When the chips are down, the resources to deal with an emergency and carry out regular policing duties are not there," said Richard Barnes, Conservative London Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon and the deputy chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

"The Met is now stretched to breaking point and the support of the government is nowhere in sight.

"They have asked the government for resources to give the police the confidence to carry out their responsibilities during this time of heightened security, but the government has as yet failed to underwrite a single penny for the additional policing costs, running at over £1 million a week."

Each Met force has had to supply officers to patrol central London. This has meant that they have had to cut the number of officers on the beat in their own areas.

Latest figures have revealed that Hillingdon is 29 police officers short.

A formula, calculated by the amount of incidents over each month and the level of demand each incident places on police is used by the GLA to check that each Met police force is up to strength.

The figures published suggest the borough of Hillingdon needs 395 officers to keep crime under control, compared to the 366 officers currently serving.

A new formula set to come in with the new financial year in April will calculate the figures using broader factors.

Social deprivation, youth crime, drug-related crime, the number of night establishments such as bars and clubs and the number of people visiting or passing through the borough will all be taken into account.

The new formula will provide a 'more balanced' picture of the scenario, according to a GLA researcher.

Mr Barnes added: "It's worrying but we are managing to reverse the problem. We're on target to reach 1,000 new Met officers by the end of March.

"Between May 1997 and the beginning of this year a figure of 28,000 officers was reduced to about 25,500, but with free public transport for officers and wages weighted for London, we're confident of turning it round."

November 30, 2001 12:00