The council’s new crime chief has called on London Mayor Boris Johnson to give Islington back its beat bobbies.

Cllr Paul Convery, appointed executive member for community safety this month, has condemned the cuts which he says have left the borough 50 police officers down.

Islington has also lost 25 per cent of its Safer Neighbourhood Team Sergeants which is a drop from 16 to 12 and means some wards have to share senior officers.

Cllr Convery said: “The drastic cuts to local police during the Conservative Mayor’s first term have created confusion and undermined confidence in the local police. On behalf of Islington I have contacted deputy for policing and crime, Stephen Greenhalgh, and demanded that he restore our local police service to its previous strength as the only way to ensure confidence in Islington.”