Primrose Hill [Rajiv Bhuttan]

A DECISION to disband a crime-fighting unit of police in the Royal Par [Rajob ks has been branded “reckless” and “absurd” by campaigners.

For more than 130 years specialist officers have worked in Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill, Hyde Park and other famous London green spaces.

But around 80 officers are set to be re-assigned into neighbourhood policing teams in November to save cash.

The switch will save the Met around £6million a year, a drop in the ocean according to Mark Elliott, chairman of the Friends of Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill.

He said: “There have been issues with bikes being stolen on the Outer Circle in Regent’s Park, there’s no way it cannot increase now. Eighty-million people use the Royal Parks every year and tourists come from all over the world. They go into the parks and they expect to be safe and they have a right to be safe.”

Mr Elliott added: “When you are out on the streets there are risks, we all know that, but inside a park you don’t expect to have a problem and it’s quite likely you will now.

“You’ll have your phone stolen or you’ll be attacked. We’re horrendously disappointed. It’s an unthinkable thing and just to save £6million, it does not solve their problem.”

The Met is looking to plug a £260m hole in its overall budget.

Mr Elliott said that a big problem was that park police were governed by regulations that were “very different to outside of the park”, and added: “It’s almost impossible that all policemen in Westminster will know the different regulations; they’re quite complicated, there are pages of them.

“It’s highly unlikely normal policemen will be trained so they’ll be wandering around the park not really knowing what they can do.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Parks said: “We are disappointed with the Metroplitan Police Service decision to close its dedicated Royal Parks police unit.

“The Royal Parks MPS unit and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London for over 150 years.

“We are deeply grateful to those police colleagues who have been so committed in their work to protect our amazing green spaces and ensure the safety, security and welfare of the millions of visitors to the parks.”

An MPS spokesperson said: “Park users and partners can be reassured that the Met will continue to respond to emergency calls, patrol hotspot areas, investigate crimes, and support events in Royal Parks across London.

“We have been working closely with the Royal Parks and stakeholders to understand concerns as we navigate our £260m funding gap and reduce the size of the Met.”

Their statement added: “The Met is prioritising neighbourhood policing and sees this as a positive opportunity to integrate the Royal Parks into local community crime-fighting plans and ensure a wider pool of officers understand the unique requirements of parks policing.”