Greenwich has lost 168 police officers since 2010 and 32 in the last 12 months alone, a councillor has revealed.

In a meeting of Greenwich Council on December 13, councillor Spencer Drury brought up the subject of why the number of police officers in his ward of Eltham North had dropped so much.

He said that the ward has six officers last year to only two this year, and that the number of community support officers dropped from two to one.

However cllr Jackie Smith, cabinet member for community safety and environment, pointed out that this was the same all across the borough.

She said: “The numbers of police officers have fallen in Eltham North Ward as they have across the borough, across London and the whole of England and Wales.

“Greenwich has lost 168 police officers since 2010 and 32 in the last twelve months alone. The borough has seen PCSOs cut from 117 in November 2010 to just 24 in July this year.”

According to Met Police, Greenwich has 514 police officers, although that figure is the Full Time Equivalent Strength to take into account part-time working and job sharing.

Eltham police station is set to close in further cost cutting measures, which leaves Plumstead police station as the only public-facing station in the borough.

Cll Smith said: “I can reassure Councillor Drury that Eltham North has not been singled out and that the reduction in safer neighbourhood officers applies to all wards.

“England and Wales has the lowest number of police officers for thirty years.

“I hope Councillor Drury will lobby the Government for a fairer funding settlement for London so that both Eltham North and the whole of the borough are not subject to further cuts and further officer numbers losses in the coming years.”