Twickenham's police front counter, which is the last remaining 24-hour police front counter in the borough, is set to close this Saturday (28 February).

The closure comes as part of the Met's major cost-saving plan to address a £260 million funding shortfall.

The Met claims that fewer crimes are reported at traditional front desks and that the various closures will save the Met over £7million a year.

The plan will reduce the number of police front counters from 38 to just 20.

Additionally, only 18 counters will remain open 24 hours a day, down from the current 32.

The closure at Twickenham Police Station will leave Richmond as one of only five London boroughs with no police front desk at all.

The nearest front counter to Teddington will now be in Hounslow.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist described the closures as "difficult choices", but said they were necessary to keep police officers on the streets rather than in underused offices.

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"With a £260 million black hole in our budget, it's inevitable that some of the choices we're having to make will change the way we police London and will be unpopular with some people," Mr Twist told the London Assembly back in August.

"This essentially comes down to us having to choose between keeping officers on London's streets… or retaining the current position on all front counters, which may be a symbolic point of access but are largely underutilised, especially overnight."

He added that front counter use has significantly declined in recent years, with only 5% of crime now reported in person, compared to 12% in 2012.

Richmond Council has also slammed the Met's plans and proposed legal action against the closure.

It said the decision to close the front counter at Twickenham Police Station had been taken without consultation, clear evidence and consideration for vulnerable residents who rely on face-to-face support.

Richmond Council leader Gareth Roberts previously said the authority had been left with no choice but to act over concerns about a lack of consultation and the impact on residents. He described the decision as "a risk to accessibility, trust and public safety".

In December, the council sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Met Police and Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) outlining its concerns, including that there was a failure to consult residents, the authority or local stakeholders on the proposals.

The letter claied a lack of evidence was provided to show the closure was justified or that alternatives had been explored, there was insufficient consideration of the impact on vulnerable residents requiring face-to-face support and the decision departed from previous pledges to maintain one front desk per borough.

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At the time, Councillor Roberts said: "Despite previous assurances from the Met and MOPAC that every borough would retain at least one 24/7 front counter, this decision has been taken without consultation, without a clear evidence base, and without consideration for those residents who rely on in-person contact.

"We have initiated legal proceedings to ensure that decisions of this scale are taken lawfully, transparently, and with proper regard for the communities they affect."

He slammed the move as the latest in a line of decisions that undermine neighbourhood policing, including the disbandment of the Royal Parks Police after 150 years of service in November.

Councillor Roberts added: "Trust in policing is already fragile. Removing the last physical point of contact from an entire borough sends entirely the wrong message to residents who simply want to feel safe and know the police are accessible.

"Our call is not about resisting change, it is about ensuring that changes are made properly and with residents' needs at the centre."

Local MPs Munira Wilson and Sarah Olney also challenged the closure plans.