CUTS to policing budgets could see Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) in Barnet merged it has been revealed.

Last night officers from the Hendon and West Hendon teams admitted they have been told the groups may be forced to merge as part of cost-cutting measures.

Police in Barnet look set to lose 25 per cent of their total budget as part of the government's austerity measures to cut the national debt.

PC Eric Karaiskou told the Hendon resident's forum at St Joseph's Patoral Centre he had been told two teams may be managed by one sergeant, with a reduced number of officers.

He said: “We've not been told if we are being merged at the moment. We have heard some are being amalgamated but we're not sure if it's us.

“They are talking about two teams under one sergeant with six PCSOs and four PCs. It's a bigger group but no different.”

Ex-Hendon MP Andrew Dismore, who battled with the Home Office to have more officers allocated to the teams in Barnet as it has larger areas to cover, was angry at the proposals.

At the same meeting he said: “What's going to happen is we will get back to where we were in terms of the numbers of officers available and will inevitably make things worse.

“Part of your role is intelligence targeting. If you have the same number of officers covering twice the area it will lead to a loss of local knowledge.”

At the same meeting both PC Karaiskou and PC Tim Wilson of the Hendon SNT admitted both teams had been left short-handed by PCSOs being seconded to other operations.

PC Wilson said: “People have been taken to assist in other operations away from the SNTs. Four days last week we had people taken off for a vehicle crime operation.

“Officers have been taken away a lot lately.”

A statement from Barnet Police said the Met “remains committed to delivering effective neighbourhood policing” and “named officers in every neighbourhood” but was conducting a policing review..

It added: “The review will focus on the locations of Safer Neighbourhoods teams, what they do and how they are structured.

The review will be carried out by gathering the thoughts and feedback of local partners, such as the local authority and members of the community.  This feedback will help plan any possible future changes.  “No changes will be made without talking to local partners and community members."