Community Opposition to Teddington Police Cells

3.39.28pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 2nd Jan 2007

Vincent Cable, MP, is to meet senior officers from Scotland Yard this week to communicate to them the depth of hostility in Teddington to the proposed 30 cell custody unit in Park Road. He also met representatives of the local protest group TAG (Teddington Against the Gaol) before Christmas to discuss options.

Vincent Cable said that he had now received over 500 replies to his questionnaire and "these suggest large scale hostility. Even those who are supportive of the police in their wish to improve their custody facilities locally - as I am - are concerned about the scale of the development and the inappropriateness of the site for a large unit. What has caused particular resentment in Teddington is the way in which one proposal has been put forward covering not just our borough but Kingston too, without any consideration of options, and apparently contrary to the Met Police strategy of using non-residential areas as sites. I shall appeal to the police to think afresh about alternatives; otherwise there will be a bruising planning battle ahead which the police could well lose".