Policing continues following fire at Forest Gate police station

Hundreds of officers and staff have been working through the night during a major fire at Forest Gate police station to ensure a normal policing service continues whilst dealing with the impact of this incident.

This has been a huge team effort working alongside London Fire Brigade, Newham Council and partners.

Significant challenges remain and due to the complexity of the fire Romford Road is unlikely to open until later today.

We continue to provide a full police service to our communities with a combination of local units and support from London-wide teams.

Officers based at Forest Gate have been severely affected with many unable to access their police equipment and personal possessions.

We are supporting officers by providing replacement equipment from alternative stores, using other buildings as patrol bases and redeploying teams from neighbouring communities.

Commander Kyle Gordon, who is overseeing the recovery operation, said: “We know Newham residents may be concerned but I want to reassure them our local teams continue to provide a full service to keep them safe.

“This was a difficult night for Met officers and staff, many of whom have lost their workplace and face uncertainty about their possessions but thankfully no-one based at Forest Gate police station was hurt.

“This shows just how well the Met family and partners can support each other during a really challenging time and I would like to say thank you to everyone involved.”

We will update later today with further information on next steps for anyone affected by the fire.