TEENAGERS have pledged their support for the council's campaign for more police by collecting 800 signatures.

Organised by The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO), an alliance of 60 East London community organisations, students hand delivered cards signed by campaign supporters to the Town Hall in Walthamstow last Thursday.

This brings the total number of people supporting the campaign to 7,100.

Students from Norlington School for Boys in Leyton and Holy Family College and Sir George Monoux College, both in Walthamstow, took part.

Council leader Chris Robbins said: “It is wonderful to have their support. It gives strength to the argument that we are putting forward when I go to the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) next week.”

Cllr Robbins said he expected it to be a “long campaign” to get extra officers in order to bring the borough in line with inner city boroughs with similar crime levels

He said: “They have provided us with short-term response units, which is fine up to a point, but we need them to address this properly.”