Enfield Southgate Conservative parliamentary candidate David Burrowes is claiming in a residents’ newsletter that he has “saved” Southgate Police Station. I wonder if your readers would agree with him that a station downgraded to a ‘contact point’ and open a mere three hours a week could be considered as being ‘saved’? He also neglects to mention that it remains earmarked for closure in the longer-term.

The harsh reality is that his entire Enfield Southgate constituency face-to-face contact with a copper is confined to a Wednesday and Thursday evening from 7-8pm and a Saturday afternoon from 2-3pm. Though, residents do have the choice of going to Southgate or to Morrisons Palmers Green – another ‘contact point’.

Mr Burrowes is further claiming that he has secured 100 extra police officers. If this is so, perhaps then he can explain how it is that in May 2010, when the Coalition Government came to office, Enfield had 590 police officers and 166 PCSOs, but, according to the latest available figures (from January of this year) these had fallen to 578 and 49 respectively? Indeed, only the other week, Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said that he has to make £800million cuts over the next five years – the cost of half his entire police force.

If I was in Mr Burrowes’ shoes, I’d be more than a little embarrassed, if not ashamed, to champion both of these as achievements.

Cllr Daniel Anderson

Lab/Southgate Green ward Enfield Borough Council