1,400 fewer police on streets

London's boroughs have 1,400 fewer police officers available for frontline duties today than they did four years ago, according to new figures obtained by the Tory Party.

The analysis shows police strength in the boroughs was down to 16,545 at the end of November, compared with 17,979 at the end of 1997.

In Westminster the number of officers is down from 1,697 in 1997 to 1,518, and in Lambeth from 917 to 853. Both boroughs face soaring levels of street robbery.

When specialist units and officers based at Scotland Yard headquarters are taken into account, the study - compiled for Tory MP Eric Pickles - shows that overall police strength in the capital is now 26,240. This is 720 personnel down on the end of 1997.

Mr Pickles, MP for Brentwood and Ongar, said: "The figures clearly demonstrate that when all the spin and announcements disappear, what you have left are fewer police officers on the beat.

"It is little surprise that while ministers talk about increasing recruitment that the public don't believe them because their experience is that numbers are dropping."

House of Commons statisticians warn that the figures need to be treated with caution because the Met's boundaries have changed in the past four years, reducing the population it polices by about 500,000. But one statistic shows that there were 356 officers per 100,000 population at the end of March 1997, while four years later, the figure had fallen to 351 per 100,000.

Scotland Yard has faced well-documented recruitment problems and the Home Office has responded by offering free travel, London allowances and help with housing.

The Yard is now confident that numbers are on a steady upward curve, with recruitment at record levels. Home Secretary David Blunkett has predicted forces in England and Wales will reach a record of 130,000 officers in post by 2003, including 28,000 in London.

Home Office police reforms will see greater efforts to persuade experienced officers to stay in the force once they have reached 30 years' service and maximum pension levels.

Other changes will see frontline police bolstered by new police-run private patrols involving 1,000 " auxiliary" wardens patrolling London streets, starting with pilot schemes early in the new year.