Tottenham MP David Lammy is urging the Mayor of London to reconsider plans to shut Tottenham Police Station at night.

The Labour politician spoke passionately tonight during a meeting about the Mayor of London’s draft police and crime plan, which maps proposals for policing in London over the next four years.

Hundreds of people piled into the meeting hall in Haringey Civic Centre to hear the deputy mayor for policing and crime Stephen Greenhalgh defend Boris Johnson's proposals - which include downgrading the police station front counter from opening 24 hours a day to daytime hours only. 

Mr Lammy said the people of Tottenham would have been “shocked and horrified” if they knew in the aftermath of the London riots that the mayor planned to downgrade the police station's opening hours 18 months later.

Under current proposals, Muswell Hill Police Station counter would close to save cash for the Metropolitan Police Service and Hornsey Police Station would have its front counter opening hours drastically cut from 24 hours a day to daytime hours.

The police station in Wood Green High Road would become the borough’s only station to remain open 24 hours a day.

Mr Lammy said he is "strongly against" the plans, and said Haringey needs two 24-hour front counters.

He claimed each borough cannot be tarred with the same brush when it comes to policing. 

The MP said it is “not rocket science” that criminals do not work from 9am to 5pm, and the mayor’s plan should do more to accommodate Haringey as a unique borough which is different in the east and the west.

According to the MP, the proposed cuts even have the potential to make investors think twice about coming to the area.

Under current plans, the number of police officers will rise from 658 in 2011 to 664 in 2015, although safer neighbourhood officers are set to rise from 55 in 2011 to 144 in 2015.

Councillor Richard Watson, chair of Haringey's community safety partnership, agreed with Mr Lammy on the need for two 24-hour stations.

Mr Greenhalgh said he realised the “importance of getting it right” for Haringey in the aftermath of the riots, and encouraged people to have their say as part of the police consultation, which runs until March 6.

He said even when front counters are closed, the police buildings will not necessarily shut, and said the mayor’s draft plan puts a stop to “Victorian-style” front counters while bringing more bobbies back to the streets.

Mr Johnson plans to close almost 200 of the 497 buildings in London owned by the Metropolitan Police to save 30 per cent of their annual £203million running costs.