Local MP Munira Wilson told parliament of the need for more policing in Teddington.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham said the following in the house of commons:

"The point that I want to emphasise, which has already been made, is the desperate need for a stronger visible police presence locally, which for me includes Twickenham, Teddington, Whitton, St Margarets and the Hamptons.

"Lockdown, combined with the good weather, has attracted an awful lot of crime and antisocial behaviour over recent months, particularly in our green spaces.

"That crime and antisocial behaviour ranges from urinating and defecating outside people's houses to intimidation, drug use, criminal damage of vehicles, opportunistic theft and assault.

"The common theme I hear from residents is that the police were called and either did not show up or were too slow to show up.

"We have lost 299 police community support officers across London and almost 1,500 special constables. We desperately need a more visible police presence and a return to community policing.

"Although the local police have made great efforts to engage with the local community, the council and me, I am dismayed to hear from them that the problem with trying to step up patrols locally is that our already short-staffed local police are called away regularly to shut down illegal raves and deal with protests and other issues in other parts of London because police resources are so stretched."

One Twickenham town centre resident said: "I'm beginning to not feel safe at all here now. I have gone most of the 58 years of my life relatively unscathed, only to be directly affected by four crimes committed in just four months."

Some residents in Richmond have even took matters into their own hands and hired their own private police force.

Munira Wilson described this idea as 'dangerous and wrong'.

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