Teddington police station will soon be sold off to the highest bidder after a plea by MP Munira Wilson to save the station was rejected.

The building, which closed as a public-facing police station in 2017 but remained an administration base for officers, is due to go on the market imminently despite fears from residents that this could impact crime in the area.

Ms Wilson says she will now work to make sure the site development benefits Teddington's community, following a letter from the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden confirming the sale will go ahead.

The Twickenham MP met with Ms Linden last month to discuss the sale of the police station and also sent a letterr urging her to reconsider the sale.

A Teddington resident also told Nub News that she feared the closure could increase crime in the area including fewer patrols and longer response times to incidents.

But in her letter to the MP, Ms Linden brushed off concerns that the closure would affect crime in Teddington.

She said there has been a "notable decrease in violent crime and acquisitive offences" in Teddington this year, despite high-profile cases this summer such as the stabbing of a teenager at Teddington Lock which left a teenage boy with serious injuries.

Ms Linden claimed the attack at Teddington Lock was an isolated incident and revealed that the perpetrators have since been arrested on suspicion of GBH and robbery.

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Police have increased their patrols of the Lock area and are working with riverside agencies and schools to tackle anti-social behaviour, she added.

Ms Linden claimed that the Mayor is instead investing in resources to tackle the complex causes of crime and indicated that Teddington's two Dedicated Ward Officers (DWO) will be enough to tackle criminal behaviour in the area.

She confirmed that police will be solely based at hubs in Twickenham and nearby Kingston.

Ms Linden also dismissed concerns from residents of Kingston Road that the number of blue-light vehicles on the main road has increased following the downgrading of Teddington police station.

She claimed that police only respond to call-outs from the hubs at the start and end of shifts so should not lead to a difference.

Wilson expressed her disappointment at the news and said she would be working hard to ensure the station is redeveloped for the benefit of Teddington's community.