Pressure is growing on the local police to reopen the front desk service at Muswell Hill police station. Lib Dem Leader Lynne Featherstone will this week meet Inspector Simon Heffer of Haringey Police to discuss in detail what will be required of local volunteers, as part of the drive to find local recruits to run the desk.

Lynne Featherstone also wants to see the police building in Muswell Hill, still used by the police, used to hold neighbourhood watch meetings and other community meetings.

The Met has hired a consultant to give advice on the use of volunteers. The consultant has apparently indicated that the force will need about 80 expressions of interest from local people in order to achieve the 40 people needed to make the system work.

Lynne Featherstone will soon be visiting the London borough of Sutton to see in operation a front counter that is being manned by volunteers.

Lynne Featherstone comments:”We are determined to help Inspector Heffer find the volunteers and we will also be discussing how best to do this on Friday. There are lessons to be learnt from Sutton. Over there, as they couldn’t find enough volunteers to open it for full daytime hours, they started with just a few volunteers and opening for just a few hours – but that is now growing and the hours are extending. This could be the way forward, and I will be going to see this for myself.”