IN THE NICK OF TIME.

The bolshiest motorist thinks twice about offending the khaki-clad forces who have patrolled Kingston's streets since 1994, bringing thousands of errant parkers to book.

Now this little army is about to beat the retreat. On March 31, Sureway Parking's three-year contract with Kingston Council comes to an end. The next day new "troops" will be drafted on to the streets by APCOA, the company contracted to enforce on-street parking laws in Kingston for the next five years.

Sureway's familiar para-military khaki will be replaced by APCOA's navy and white, while its "barracks" at 32 High Street will be superseded by APCOA's newly-leased HQ and parking shop at 22 London Road. Thus uniforms will unexpectedly return to premises born in 1864 as the first purpose-built Metropolitan Police station in Kingston.

The Comet gave no space this important new development, even though it was a showpiece of its time. But Metropolitan Police archivist, Maggie Bird, sees nothing odd in this.

"The police were regarded as pests, and absolute traitors to the working classes. It wasn't unusual for local papers to show their contempt by ignoring them" she said.

The new Kingston station was designed by Charles Reeves, who had been the Metropolitan Police surveyor since the post was first created in 1842, and designed 44 police stations before his death in 1866. The chosen site was in London Road (then known as London Street) on the spot where the White family had traded as butchers since the 18th century.

Men of the Metropolitan Police V division moved into the new station in September 22, 1864. There was one inspector, five sergeants, two acting sergeants and 31 constables, plus five horses. Their beat covered Kingston, Ditton, Epsom, Hampton and Sunbury, plus special duties at Wandsworth Police Court, Cremorne Gardens, Kew Gardens, Strawberry Hill House and Hampton Court Palace.

Those were the days when a policeman's lot was definitely not a happy one! As well as bitter public hostility, they had to contend with long hours, harsh discipline, pitifully small pay, and were expected to wear uniform throughout their waking hours, even when off duty. The two mounted sergeants at Kingston had to perform nine and 12 hours duty alternately every night from 9pm. The patrol sergeants had to work nine hours out of every 24, on horse or foot. All had to care for their animals, which were stabled in the station yard.

Though the Kingston quarters were designed as the last word in modernity, they were woefully out-dated by the turn of the century. So began a 54-year struggle for new premises.

Land was bought in Richmond Road in 1914. But the First World War, and the depression that followed, prevented development until 1937, when the site was recognised as too small for the purpose.

It was then exchanged for a property called Meadowbank in Berrylands Road, Surbiton. It was intended to make this into a single men's section house. Then came the Second World War, after which Meadowbank was redeveloped as police married quarters.

Meanwhile the Comet -- which had long since overcome its contempt for the police -- railed against the station in London Road.

"This dark and forbidding place is no credit to the authorities, and a new and much better building is sorely needed," it declared in 1936.

"One has seen rabbit hutches better adapted to the purpose, and the station itself is little better than a rabbit hutch. Dark inside and out, its equipment is not worthy of the force which makes use of it." The following year Kingston Corporation suggested building a new police station behind the Guildhall in St James's road. However, the police authorities preferred a site in Fairfield West (now known as Wheatfield Way. This purchase had reached draft contract stage in 1939 when the outbreak of war prevented completion of the sale.

In 1951 fresh attempts were made to buy the site. But by then Kingston Council had other plans for it, and blocked the deal. However, it did help the police to find an alternative site in Thames Street, and purchase was completed in 1954.

Capital was available, and building plans well advanced, when the council revised its town plan, and vetoed the scheme.

Ten years later the council finally let the Metropolitan Police exchange its Thames Street site (now covered by the John Lewis complex) for one next to the Guildhall. Here Kingston's sorely-needed new police HQ opened at last in April 1968.

This building was designed by J Innes Elliott, the Metropolitan Police's chief architect and surveyor, in association with Kingston architects, Brewer Smith and Brewer.

It was a tough challenge. As it adjoined the Guildhall, historic Clattern Bridge and the Coronation Stone, the building had to harmonise with its surroundings (though not everyone would agree that it does!)

It was erected on extremely poor ground, so had to be supported on piles averaging 50 feet long from basement level.

Care also had to be taken with the adjacent Hogsmill River, which normally runs at a level within a few inches of the basement, but is liable to violent fluctations.

The building, faced in Portland stone and stock brick, with a much-admired carving of the Royal Arms above the entrance, cost £254,503 to construct. In recent years it has been substantially refurbished and enlarged.

Meanwhile, the "rabbit hutch" in London Road has been listed as a building of special architectural and historic interest.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.