MP Welcomes Police 'U' Turn

1.32.40pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 26th Jan 2007

Following the public meeting on Monday last on the Teddington police cells proposal, and the Metropolitan Police decision to go back to the drawing board, Vincent Cable welcomed the decision but warned that unless there is a rethink of the model of very large custody centres there is a danger of unsatisfactory proposals being recycled and re-emerging in another local residential area.

"It was very clear from the meeting that there was absolutely no public support for the proposal; that the police were simply unable to answer many of the specific points about local impacts and that there was a fundamental confusion over whether the residents were being 'consulted' or told. In the event the representations made to the police by residents groups, myself, MPA member Dee Doocey and the Teddington councillors have prevailed.

"What worries me however is that this proposal will be recycled and will re-emerge somewhere else equally inappropriate. What I believe the police need to do is to rethink the 'one size fits all' model and look at how - badly needed - police cells can be provided in a series of smaller units more appropriate to outer London where crime is low and the distances required for transporting prisoners are larger than in inner London".