POLICE coverage in the borough has plummeted in the past six years, according to figures published by the Metropolitan Police.

Hillingdon has seen local police officers per 10,000 of population fall from 37.7 during 1995 to 1999, to only 14.6 in 2001.

Richard Barnes, GLA member for Hillingdon and Ealing and deputy chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, believes this is due to government policies.

"If you drew a map 100 miles wide around London during the last Conservative government you would include 80 per cent of thecabinet. But if you drew that same map, these days around Newcastle you would get the same number of Labour ministers it's certainly a deliberate policy.

"However, if you look at statistics overall it does demonstrate the loss of police numbers. In 1997, London had a total of 28,000 police officers but that has fallen to 25,000, due to Labour Government cuts in the capital's budget, which they have redirected to commands in the north.

"Police officers stop crime, detect crime and prosecute crime, so if the Met is officers short, it's inevitable crime will increase."

He explained a further cause for the drop was that previously residentless Heathrow Airport was included in Hillingdon's figures. Now the airport is a separate command.