Havering Council is to directly pay for additional police officers to support the local Police Force for the first time.

The extra police officers will be deployed within the Borough, except in exceptional circumstances, and will increase the overall strength of the Borough's Force. This means that there will be more officers supporting Havering as a result.

The extra officers will cost up to £300,000 and is part of the Council's commitment to support the work of the police - which included saving Hornchurch Police Station from closure.

St Andrew's Ward Councillor John Mylod said: "Thanks to our Conservative run Council, our local police will have extra resources to allow them to tackle anti-social behaviour and clamp down on crime across Havering."