Waiting times at police stations in Redbridge are the highest in London, according to a recent survey.

Between October 2012 and September 2013, an average of 28 per cent of people had to wait over an hour to be seen at the front counter of police stations in the borough, compared to a London average of seven per cent.

Across the capital, 36 percent of people waited no time at all, compared to 17 per cent in Redbridge.

The surveys revealed that 67 per cent of people in London were seen within ten minutes or less.

The data was gathered through satisfaction surveys carried out by the Metropolitan Police.

This year the Met announced it would be saving £500 million by 2015, although the number of officers in Redbridge is set to increase by 86 to 530, and the number of Safe Neighbourhood Officers in the borough set to double by 2015.

Wanstead police station was closed in September and has since been sold.

A spokesman on behalf of Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The Public Access Team and wider MPS continue to carry out continuous improvement to reduce front counter waiting times.

“This includes reviewing front counter design and encouraging use of queue reduction techniques.

“Support visits and mystery shopping exercises are also conducted periodically to ensure boroughs improve the experience for front counter customers.”

The Guardian is awaiting comment from the police.