200 Police Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham to Move to Chiswick

In temporary measure to allow for redevelopment of local stations

Over 200 police officers from Hammersmith and Fulham are to move west to Chiswick as a temporary measure while local stations are being redeveloped.

As we reported in October, Mayor of London Boris Johnson plans to downgrade Fulham Police Station, which he described as "under-used" with only a 'front counter' remaining and the rest of the building in Heckfield Place given up to accommodate Fulham Boys School.

As yet no details have been provided about the level of service this new arrangement will offer the community in Fulham.

Meanwhile Hammersmith Police Station in Shepherd's Bush Road is being refurbished to become the borough's only station offering a 24 front counter service, with what Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Gideon Springer calls " new state-of-the-art facilities including a new 30 cell custody suite – as well as improved and expanded stables that would maintain the popular presence of mounted police in the Hammersmith area. "

Fulham Boys School is a free secondary school opened in September 2014 which is currently occupying temporary premises on Gibbs Green Estate in West Kensington.

Though Hammersmith and Fulham Council called these plans to convert the police station into a school "unacceptable" and demanded that the Mayor provide more details, it appears the move is already underway, with our sister site ChiswickW4.com reporting that Chiswick Station, a three storey building on Chiswick High Road, has been given a hurried makeover, with offices being set up and lockers arranged for H&F Rapid Response teams who are expected to arrive within the next two months.

Chiswick Police Station itself, which was spared closure during a rationalisation three years ago and has a total staff of 60 officers currently operates only during business hours.

We have asked Hammersmith and Fulham Police for their comments on this story.

January 27, 2016