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London Mayor candidate Brian Paddick supports campaign to Save Sydenham Police Station

On Saturday, Lib-Dem Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick and GLA member Caroline Pidgeon joined London Assembly Constituency candidate for Lewisham and Greenwich, John Russell and the Sydenham Society, the Forest Hill Society and local residents on Saturday the 18th of February to suppport the local campaign to Save Sydenham Police Station. Speaking outside the Station, Brian Paddick, a London policeman for 26 years and a former police commander for the London Borough of Lambeth, said that it was vitally important to “keep policing local”. Only by working together on a neighbourhood basis could locals and the police effectively combat crime.

Paddick said: “I fully support the Sydenham Society and local residents in their campaign to keep this local Police station open. It’s common sense that Local Police teams should be based locally to be effective. Basing local police teams miles away, on the other side of Lewisham, will undermine local policing and the trust that has been built up with the local community over the years. Closing this police station would also be a gift to local criminals.”

London Assembly Constituency candidate for Lewisham and Greenwich, John Russell commented  “It is essential that our local Police teams have a local base. If this Police station is sold off a new local base must be provided. The Police need to be more open and honest with local residents and less secretive about the property review.

“With crime rates rising across Lewisham and an average of  two knife crimes a day in Lewisham and a shocking total of 578 knife crime incidents in the last 10 months now is not the time to undermine the important local Policing work that is being done.

“I will do all that I can as a candidate to support local residents in their campaign against this closure.”

If you haven’t already signed the petition to Save Sydenham Police Station visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-sydenham-police-station/

Brian Paddick and Metropolitan Police Authority member, Caroline Pidgeon, in Forest Hill

Photographs by Vijay Naidu