Thousands Wasted as Wood Green Police Kiosk is Demolished

10.55.02am GMT Tue 14th Mar 2006

Focus Editors Fiyaz Mughal and Annie Faulkner by Wood Green Police Kiosk

Residents of Noel Park and Wood Green were outraged to find that the police kiosk had been demolished this weekend after months of disuse. Anger at the decision hinged on the fact that tens of thousands of pounds had been wasted on the kiosk. Many residents were asking why the kiosk had to go, and why it had not been used more regularly by police officers.

Liberal Democrat Councillors were last night pressing the Council to respond to questions over the total cost of the erection and subsequent removal of the kiosk, which is expected to total tens of thousands of pounds.

Lynne Featherstone MP for Hornsey & Wood Green said: "Local policing is always the best idea and having a local base in the middle of the busiest shopping area in the borough was common sense. The problem was it was almost always closed. This expensive pilot was never given a real chance and now demolishing it without any consultation or replacement of any sort is a slap in the face for the people of Wood Green. Local people should be able to say what they want from their police force and where they want it."

Councillor Neil Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, comments: "The police kiosk was a good idea, and we have campaigned hard to see it stay open and be used by police and community safety wardens. When the kiosk was in use, it made the people of Wood Green feel safer and provided a reassuring police presence in a crime hotspot. It is very hard to see the logic in the decision to demolish it, and residents are understandably upset about what was simply a waste of money."