Pic: Kenjonbro

The Metropolitan Police and Croydon Business Improvement District  (BID) will continue to work together in a deal to improve policing in the town centre.

BID, which represents major town centre businesses will pay £100,000 over the next six months to fund five additional police officers.

In return, The Met will provide match-funding which will add a further five police officers to the team dedicated to patrolling the town.

The decision follows a restructuring of the Town Centre Police unit from earlier this year, which led to a change in the number of constables policing the area.

Matthew Sims, Chief Executive of the BID told EastLondonLines: “We have been funding additional police officers for the past 5 years. We fund a total of 5 officers in the town centre and the Met Police match that so we’re actually providing the town centre with 10 additional officers.

“It is fantastic – it adds enormous value to the town centre and the businesses in Croydon.

“One of our key priorities is making sure that Croydon is safe and secure. We have developed a good relationship with the Met Police and we can provide the necessary resources to make a real change against the crime in Croydon.”

In the last year overall crime in Croydon town centre had dropped by 4 per cent.