CAMPAIGNERS have expressed fears that Wanstead’s under-threat police station will not survive a review of its future because not enough people know about its new opening hours.

Some residents have contacted the Guardian worrying that the historic building, on Spratt Hall Road, is not being used because people are unaware that it is now open all day long, compared with just a couple of hours a day as used to be the case.

An investigation into whether or not to close it is currently underway after London Mayor Boris Johnson ordered a review of the Metropolitan Police Authority’s estate management last October, with details of a mass consultation as part of the review expected within weeks.

The station has been threatened with closure for several years, prompting a petition of over 4,500 names to save it.

Concerned resident Billie Figg, of The Avenue in Wanstead, said: “We’re anxious becuse if nobody knows about it they won’t go there.

“It might mean that the station gets a bad report during the consultation.

“You wonder if the police want any excuse they can get to be out of Wanstead altogether - I haven’t been made aware of the changes.”

Helen Zammett, who also campaigned against the station’s proposed closure last year, said: “There’s a perception that there’s no point going to the police station because it’s always closed.

“My big fear is that then when it comes to the consultation the police will say the footfall there is too low.

“But they’re going to be seeing a lot of me because I’ll go every chance I get.”

Debra Selner, head of Christchurch Green Neighbourhood Watch, said it was vital the future of the police station be secured.

She added: “If the police station did go it would make a big difference to Wanstead. It a crucial part of our nice community and we do value the police very much here. It’s all part of what makes Wanstead what it is.”

A spokeswoman for Redbridge Police said: “The station was operating shorter hours because of staffing problems. This has now been rectified and therefore has reverted back to being open longer.”

The new opening hours for the station are 7am till 11pm Monday to Friday and 10am till 6pm on Saturdays.

The station will remain closed on Sundays.