A CAMPAIGN for more police in Waltham Forest has been dealt a blow with the news that the number of officers in London has dropped significantly.

The council is calling for 120 more officers to be brought into the borough to bring the number of police in line with neighbouring boroughs with similar crime profiles.

But recent estimates suggest there are 1,181 fewer officers in the capital than the same time last year, due to a recruitment freeze.

The Metropolitan Police Authority has lost approximately £100 million from its budget next year and widespread cost cutting is planned, making it unlikely that the council will be granted its wish for more resources.

According to the latest Metropolitan Police Authority figures, there are 561 police officers currently working in Waltham Forest, compared to 771 in neighbouring Hackney and 730 in Haringey, which both have similar populations and crime levels.

Extra officers were drafted in over the summer to deal with an upsurge in gang related violence across the borough.