The Leader of Hillingdon Council has accused Sadiq Khan of "breaking another election promise" with his plan to close the front desks of several police stations.

Speaking to GB News, Councillor Ian Edwards said the decision was "utterly inadequate" and "further removing policing from communities".

As part of cost-saving measures, the Metropolitan Police are planning to reduce the number of in-person counters at London's police stations from 37 to 19.

However, if the closure of the front desk at Hayes Police Station goes ahead, Hillingdon residents will have zero access to face-to-face police support in the entire borough, forcing them to travel almost 12 miles just to report a crime in person at Acton's police station.

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Expressing his two main concerns about the decision, Edwards told GB News: "It is the second political promise that's been broken. Danny Beales, when he sought election, promised to keep Uxbridge open, and that's been a failed promise. And now the Mayor has broken his promise.

"So my thoughts are, can you trust Labour promises? In regards to the police station, I think that this is a terrible decision by the police. I understand why it's been made, I understand it's the consequence of shortage of funds, but I still think it's a bad decision. It is further removing policing from communities and that is just not what we want. We want to bring a closer connection between the police and the people they serve."

Highlighting the strong opposition by the local community about the planned closure, Edwards revealed that he has been contacted by concerned residents, and has also witnessed the outrage online.

He said: "We've only got to look at any of the Facebook groups that are out there, the community groups, social media is abuzz with this news and nobody is supporting it at all. I've had the odd email and letter typically from victims of crime or parents of those that have been assaulted in Hayes saying, 'where does this leave us in terms of our contact with the police and our backup?'

"And just the feeling that the police are interested in and going to be investing in their safety in their neighbourhood."

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Criticising the lack of alternatives to in-person reporting of crime in the area, Edwards said the closure has been planned "without thinking" of another solution for the community.

Edwards explained: "I think it's a shame that they've gone about a necessary closure without thinking 'what are the alternatives?' It's quite easy nowadays to have virtual police stations, technology is around. The vast majority, not all, use a Zoom interface or Teams to access a face at the other end, not a voice on a telephone to to deal with any policing matter.

"But there's no solution like that coming up. The only solution is to travel to Acton, and that is just woefully inadequate."

Hitting out at the continued decline of policing services in communities, Edwards stated that there has been a "drip, drip, drip removal" of access to policing for the people of London. He told GB News: "It is ridiculous. This is not just the police stations, this has been a drip, drip, drip of the removal of policing from local communities.

"It started when they took away the borough structure. Boroughs used to be closely aligned to police. There is this movement of resource, and we are seen as a demand rather than as a community that they should understand and police to meet our needs."

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Stressing further why the decision is a "bad move", Edwards highlighted that the "symbolism" of a police station within communities is being diminished.

He said: "You overlook the symbolism of a police station, just its presence there, like the old castles of fort, it was a sign of law and order. And actually, we are just beginning to signal the fact that there is a decline, and that's wrong. It makes it harder for the community to feel as though they are connected with their police and to be able to get access to them immediately.

"The fear of crime is obviously real. Fortunately, Hillingdon is a relatively safe borough, and our crime is nowhere near the level of some of the other hotspots, but that doesn't mean to say we don't have a problem. Of course we do, and our community are entitled to good policing of which they can access immediately. And that is something that I'm concerned is beginning to fray."

Expressing his fears for a reduction in the number of people on bail reporting themselves at stations, Edwards explained that alongside members of the community, those individuals would also be forced to travel to Acton's station if Hayes Station is closed.

He told GB News: "There are people that report to a police station on bail, and so they have a role in managing offenders, even all of that now is going to go to Acton. Am I really going to see somebody travel to Acton to say 'I'm on bail', is that reasonable?

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"Is it now going to be a condition that that the courts are going to make? If they have to travel that far, the supervision of offenders becomes less. Those that then breach it become a demand on police, because they've now got to go and hunt them because they haven't reported, so that could be another demand."

In direct criticism of Sadiq Khan, Edwards urged the Mayor to "give London the policing they need" and not "prioritise other projects" over the safety of communities.

He stated: "The Mayor raises his precept year after year at a far higher rate than we raise our council tax, and somehow he still can't fund policing. It's just quite unbelievable. We are protesting, we are raising these matters, and I'm confident it will be raised further.

"Londoners deserve better than this, and they should be putting a higher priority on this than maybe some of the other projects that they decide to allocate money to. Putting the safety of London and the perception of safety of London is so far down the agenda, and is not good in my view."

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Edwards concluded: "It isn't so much the reporting crime that worries me, it is the symbolism of the police not being present in communities, and it is just the idea that actually to save some money, we can remove that. They might be addressing demand, but they're not considering the reassurance and the just the value to communities."

In a statement, a spokesman for the Mayor of London said: "Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe and he is determined to do all he can to support Sir Mark Rowley deliver a New Met for London where communities are put first.

"Any change to the number of police front counters or their opening times is an operational decision for the Met – based on resources, funding and public demand for services.

"After over a decade of cuts worth over a billion under the previous Government, the Met is facing an extremely difficult financial situation. The Mayor is working closely with the Met to boost visible neighbourhood policing in our communities and is having ongoing discussions with Ministers and the Commissioner about the funding the Met needs to ensure we can continue building a safer London for everyone."

GB News has contacted the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office for comment.