Royal Parks police could be cut to plug Met budget

The Met Police has been urged to rule out cutting the police unit that protects the Royal Parks, as it tries to plug a £450million budget gap.

The force's commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has said specific teams, including the Royal Parks, could be slashed in a "worst-case scenario".

In December, he said the Met could be forced to cut 2,300 police officers and 400 staff this year as it tries to meet a target of £100m efficiency savings.

But Richmond Council, which is home to two Royal Parks - Richmond and Bushy -has spoken out against any potential proposals saying officers' skills could not be replaced.

It has put together a motion, which will be tabled at a meeting on Tuesday, to call on the police and mayor of London to "ensure sufficient funding was provided to mitigate the impact on other worst-case scenario teams".

The motion added: "[The] council believes the Royal Parks Police hold specialist knowledge, experience and expertise which would be impossible to replicate by other units within the Metropolitan Police."

The Lib Dem-run council is set to hold a vote on whether to formally make the demands to the Met Police and mayor.

The Royal Parks comprise of eight parks, including Hyde and St James's, as well as Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens.

Police officers ensure safety in them and also help during ceremonies such as the Changing of the Guard.

The Met Police said: "We have been clear on the financial challenges we face and continue to have productive discussions with the mayor and Home Office to ensure we have the resources to police London effectively.

"As expected we are carefully planning for any tough choices we may have to make to ensure we live within the means of our future budget, but no final decisions have been made."

The mayor of London recently announced increased funding for the police from City Hall and the government to help keep more officers on the streets of London.

A spokesperson said: "The mayor will continue to work closely with the new government and the Met Commissioner – in the lead up to the spending review – on the additional national investment the Met needs to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone."

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