Residents snubbed - No extra Police for Waltham Forest

9.00.00am GMT Tue 5th Jan 2010

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Cllr Farooq Qureshi with Leyton ward Cllrs Naveed Qureshi and Bob Sullivan

Residents feel angry and let down after the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) has said that they are not changing their policy which allocates Waltham Forest 199 fewer police than neighbours Hackney. They have completely ignored the 6,500 residents who signed the petition for more police for Waltham Forest. Anyone who lives in Leyton and Leytonstone will know that recent shootings, violent crime and anti-social behaviour have highlighted the need for more police. Their plea to be better protected has fallen on deaf ears. Focus says: This will be a big disappointment to all the people who signed the petition. We are now working on the next steps to get the Mayor and the Police Authority to think again on this issue and will report back. In a surprise vote, Labour MPs opposed Lib Dem plans to make Britain safer. Ten years after Labour came to power, Britain is stuck with high levels of crime. Only one crime in a hundred ends up being punished in court. Cllr. Farooq Qureshi, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate said, "People just don't believe Labour's and Tory's tough talk on crime any more. Lib Dem plans will put more police on the street and will tackle sentencing. The Tories couldn't even decide on how to vote on the five-step plan and abstained."