Exclusive: Cruddas ‘The Tories have utterly failed on policing’.

Dagenham and Rainham Prospective Candidate Jon Cruddas has hit out at Havering Council stating that their claims to buy Hornchurch police station are ‘untrue’

A spokesperson told the Havering Daily:

“In 2018 Havering Council claimed to have saved Hornchurch Police Station from closure by purchasing it. This news made headlines in the local press and featured heavily in Conservative Party literature across Havering moving into 2019.

“Last month it was unearthed that these claims were untrue.

“Leaked emails from a source in Havering Town Hall have confirmed that: “There were two Executive Decisions… it did not commit the council to buy the premises.”

“In short, the Council has taken formal decisions to exercise the option to purchase the station and grant the lease, but it will not be able to do so, until the Police enter into a formal contract with the Council.

“In the build up to the election Council Leader Damian White, who is now the Conservative candidate for Dagenham and Rainham released a video via council social media stating that the council “recently purchased, or are about to purchase, Hornchurch Police Station.”

Jon Cruddas, the Labour candidate in the election stated;

“This is a shocking revelation. I have seen countless headlines where the Tory candidate has claimed to have saved Hornchurch Police Station. His government have taken 1000 officers off our streets locally and he has been citing this as a solution. Well it falls well short. Tory cuts being washed over with Tory lies.

“In 2017 I led the only successful campaign to save a police station in London. The Tories have utterly failed on policing in Dagenham and Rainham. Only Labour will give our police the support they need to keep our streets safe.”