The desk was opened yesterday and comes after a fire destroyed the roof of Forest Gate Police Station earlier this month

The Metropolitan Police has reopened a public desk at the old police station in Stratford after a fire destroyed the roof of Forest Gate Police Station earlier this month.

Stratford Police Station was shut alongside Plaistow Police Station in December 2017, leaving Newham with just one public front desk at Forest Gate.

Forest Gate Police Station serves as a key base for officers covering Newham and Waltham Forest. Chingford has the only police station with a front desk in Waltham Forest. The temporary loss of the police station in Forest Gate especially affects residents in Leytonstone and Leyton, as it is closer and more accessible than Chingford.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.