HARROW on the Hill residents are worried by plans to relocate their community police officers' headquarters to central Harrow.

Harrow on the Hill's Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) could leave West Street Police Station in West Street at the heart of the ward for a new base at Kirkland House in Peterborough Road, Harrow, 15 minutes away in Greenhill ward.

Greenhill SNT would make the same move, meaning its headquarters would actually be on its own patch.

The Harrow on the Hill SNT ward panel – lay members who help determine the team's priorities - has collectively written to object to the move, which has not yet been subject to public consultation.

Equally outraged is Roxeth Action Group, which told the new borough commander, Chief Superintendent Dal Babu: "At present the team is ideally placed near the majority of housing and public areas in their ward.

"The extra journey time from Greenhill would inevitably reduce the patrol times, their profile on the streets and increase response times to calls from the public which would be to the detriment of their work.

"In addition, ward panel members are very unhappy that they would be required to travel a further distance to Greenhill for their regular meetings with the team when at present most, if not all, can reach West Street on foot.

"We urge that this proposal be reconsidered."

Harrow's Chief Inspector for Safer Neighbourhoods, Nick Davies, said: "Currently, both Greenhill and Harrow on the Hill SNTs operate out of a shared base at West Street Police Station, located on Harrow on the Hill ward.

"In the future, both teams will be moving to a new, purpose built base at Kirkland House, located on Greenhill ward.

"This move is part of the Asset Management Plan, which was first made public in January 2008.

"The new base at Kirkland House has a number advantages over West Street. Kirkland House has a designated meeting room and provides access for wheelchair users, unlike West Street.

"As soon as we have a date for the move we will be inviting members of the public to see the new base for themselves.

"West Street will continue to be used by Harrow's Town Centre Team."