Any complaints about there not being enough bobbies on the beat should be silenced in one area of Barnet, as hundreds of police officers are set to move in.

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and developers St George PLC have signed an agreement to provide the Met with 224 homes at Beaufort Park, in Aerodrome Road.

The site is opposite the police training session, and a spokeswoman for MPA said the deal will: "Provide the Met with much needed residential accommodation to support police recruits, officers, police community support officers and members of staff while they undertake their extended training at Hendon."

There will also be two other MPA sites redeveloped as part of the agreement, at High Road, Finchley and a residential police property, also in Barnet.

Alan Croney, Director of Property Services, for the Metropolitan Police Service, said: "As the nature and scale of police training has changed, we need an estate that allows us to be as flexible as possible whilst providing modern standards of accommodation.

"The MPA are committed to retaining a major training presence in the area and this new accommodation is part of our long term strategic thinking for the estate."

The Beaufort Park estate, which consists of nearly 3,000 apartments, will be ready for the Met officers to move in from 2010.