POLICE community support officers have been given a stay of execution after a decision on cuts was postponed.

The Metropolitan Police was set to discuss plans to cut all borough-based PCSOs at its management board meeting on Tuesday (September 29).

Since 2010 the force has had £600m cut from its budget, and is expected to face a further £800m of cuts by 2019.

But it is believed the Met has pushed back the decision on PCSOs until December after significant opposition to the plans.

Enfield currently has 44 PCSOs, all of whom could face the chop if the proposals go ahead.

Despite welcoming the delay, Labour Assembly Member Murad Qureshi warned that the future of local policing in the capital remained at “grave risk.”

He said: “I welcome that the Met is taking the time to listen to the vast public opposition to the proposed cuts to all PCSOs in London.

“Despite this stay of execution for PCSOs it’s clear the future of local policing in the capital remains at grave risk. We cannot be complacent and will be spending the next two months making the case for neighbourhood policing in the capital.

“There is no doubt that Government cuts are putting great strain on the police force, it’s time the Home Secretary understood that the decimation of neighbourhood policing is not a price the London public are willing to pay.”

Across London as a whole, axing local PCSOs entirely would mean more than 1,000 officers lost from the capital’s streets.

Since May 2010, Barnet has lost 122 PCSOs.

The delay comes a week after the Commissioner warned that the scale of police funding cuts were “worrying” for the capital, saying that “we’ve got options on how to make savings but with that scale of savings none of them are attractive.”