Campaigners claim police risk losing vital lines of communication with the public after plans were revealed for another station closure.

Cost-cutting measures announced by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) earlier this month could see Woodford police station, in Woodford Green High Road, shut down and sold off.

The plans will also look to at least close the public counter at Barkingside station, leaving Redbridge with just one 24-hour police desk in Ilford.

However, residents, community leaders and councillors in Woodford are preparing to fight the plans.

An online petition set up last Friday calling for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to keep the station open has already garnered more than 130 signatures.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Roding Ward, Gwyneth Deakins, claimed police would be put on the back foot fighting crime without a base in the area.

Cllr Deakins said: “This is just going to mean a lot of frustration and inconvenience for local people.

“There is a lot of concern over these plans, we have been here before when they wanted to close police stations five or six years ago.

“Residents feel as if police are now going to spend half of their time travelling, when the best way for them to look after our area is to actually be here.”

The mayor is looking to reduce the number of police stations open to the public across London from 73 to 36 in a bid to find some of the £400 million savings the Met requires by 2021.

The plans, which were first mooted in emails between City Hall staff and police officials in January this year, would likely see just one police station with a 24-hour front desk in most boroughs.

The closures would come after the Met has been forced to find £600 million in savings as a result of central Government cuts since 2010.

Mr Khan last month branded his decision to close front desks a: “consequence of cuts from central government”.

Cllr Deakins added: “It remains to be seen whether crime will increase because of this, but I think what will suffer is day-to-day communication between the police and local people.

“I do not think that means more burglars are suddenly going to be targeting the area, but where there are burglaries, they will not going to be effectively dealt with.

“I think the effects might not be short term, but long term, police will not have as much time to communicate with the public.”

To view the petition, visit: change.org/p/sadiq-khan-save-woodford-police-station.