The Liberal Democrats have joined Labour in criticising plans to close public access to a police base in Walthamstow High Street.


The Safer Neighbourhood Team office in the shopping district is set to have its front counter shut as part of proposals by City Hall to save £500million across London by 2015.


Last month the Waltham Forest Labour Party launched a campaign calling for a re-think on the proposals, claiming it would make it harder for residents to report crimes.


At the time Walthamstow Labour MP Stella Creasy criticised the Liberal Democrat's "silence" on the issue and urged them to join a cross-party campaign.


In response, the Lib Dems have now launched their own campaign and also called for a cross-party consensus on the issue.


Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson has defended the London-wide plans and said the number of people visiting front counters to report crimes was falling.


He says closing some police stations will help maintain officer numbers and will improve the public's access to frontline officers by basing them in community facilities such as libraries.


But High Street Lib Dem ward councillor Mahmood Hussain said: “These cuts are in the wrong place at the wrong time.


"We’ve only recently seen that we are the second worst borough in London for binge drinking, and the police play a vital role in tackling that.


"We also have problems with anti-social behaviour in some parts of the borough and residents and shopkeepers will be worried what affect this will have.”


City Hall has said no decision has been made on whether to sell-off bases like the one in Walthamstow High Street if front counter access is closed.


Its proposals, announced in January, also include the closure of public access at Leytonstone Police Station, and confirmation of the sale of stations in Leyton and Walthamstow, although these were previously announced last year.


However the proposals also include an increase in the number of police in Waltham Forest, with 119 extra officers taking the size of the borough's force up to 642 by 2015 – the biggest rise in London.

A public consultation event to discuss the plans is being held on Monday February 25 at Walthamstow Assembly Hall in Forest Road from 6pm.

Visit www.london.gov.uk/policingevents to register to attend.