Royal Parks police unit to be 'disbanded' after 150 years despite charity's warning of 'serious consequences'

3 May 2025, 06:59

The Royal Parks police unit are to be 'disbanded' after 150 years - following charity's warning of 'serious consequences'.

The historic Royal Parks in London have been policed by a specialist team of officers for more than 150 years.

The Met Police has confirmed the service will end in November when it disbands the dedicated unit in an attempt to close a £260m funding gap.

Around 80 officers who respond to serious crimes, such as enforcing regulations, protecting wildlife, and policing events such as the Changing of the Guard, will be transferred to local units.

The Royal Parks charity - responsible for managing and maintaining the parks - said they are "disappointed" with the decision and are working with police on a plan to maintain public safety.

Read more: Serving Met Police officer charged with string of sexual assaults over five year period

Read more: Large police presence on busy east London street as man 'stabbed in neck by about ten boys with axes and machetes'

The 5,000 acres of green spaces include Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Richmond Park.

Liberal Democrat Leader of Richmond Council and London Assembly Member Gareth Roberts said that a rise in crime is "almost inevitable".

"We will have that type of space within the capital being largely unpoliced," he told Sky.

"I hope that we won't be seeing dire consequences, but we have already seen organised criminal gangs targeting cyclists when they know that the police aren't on duty… and this could open the door to further acts like that."

He added that cyclists riding high-end bikes have been threatened with violence while other serious crimes include mobile phone thefts, drug dealing and sexual offences.

There have also been other less common crimes such as gangs stealing antlers from deers, which they then sell online, Mr Roberts said.

The Met police has confirmed the force would cut 1,700 officers and staff, and reduce some services to save money.

This cost-cutting measure is happening despite the force receiving increases from central and local government.

Politicians and campaigners have urged the police to reconsider plans to disband the Royal Parks unit.

The Royal Parks Police in the capital are currently made up of around 80 officers, who patrol the 11 royal parks in London, addressing issues from wildlife protection to more serious crime. The OCU was formerly the Royal Parks Constabulary before it was merged by the Met Police in 2004, and enforces action in iconic locations such as Hyde Park, St James's Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park & Primrose Hill and Bushy Park.

Last week, a letter from the Met's Commander Owain Richards confirmed the dedicated team will be fully disbanded by 1 November this year.

Mr Richards said: "It is with regret that we have taken the tough decision to no longer have a dedicated Royal Parks policing team."

Local police teams will instead serve the park, as seen in other London parks including Clapham Common and Brockwell Park.

A spokesperson for the Met police said: "Park users and partners can be reassured the Met will continue to respond to emergency calls, patrol hotspot areas, investigate crimes, and support events in Royal Parks across London."

A Royal Parks spokesperson said: "We are disappointed with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) decision to close its dedicated Royal Parks police unit.

"The Royal Parks MPS unit and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London for over 150 years.

"We are deeply grateful to those police colleagues who have been so committed in their work to protect our amazing green spaces and ensure the safety, security and welfare of the millions of visitors to the parks."

The spokesperson continued: "We want to reassure the public that we are working closely with the police over the next six months to ensure a plan is put in place to maintain public safety once the unit is fully disbanded."

The Met said in a statement: "We have been working closely with the Royal Parks and stakeholders to understand concerns as we navigate our £260m funding gap and reduce the size of the Met.

"The Met is prioritising neighbourhood policing and see this as a positive opportunity to integrate the Royal Parks into local community crime fighting plans and ensure a wider pool of officers understand the unique requirements of parks policing."

Earlier this year, senior Metropolitan Police officers held talks with the Royal Parks Charity Board to discuss "key considerations and risks".

In February, LBC revealed that the Metropolitan Police were actively considering closing their Royal Parks Operational Command Unit (OCU) due to police budgets, with a Royal Parks spokesperson saying cuts could have a "dramatic impact" and lead to "serious consequences".

A meeting was held between Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, and the Chairman of the Royal Parks Charity Board, Sir Loyd Grossman, to discuss the key considerations, risks and impacts.

Criminal incidents reported in the Royal Parks increased from 2022/23 to 2023/24, from 76 reported incidents to 101.

The Westminster Labour Party said there had also been an increase in broader incidents, near misses and accidents.

Read more: Met Police out of special measures after boosting performance despite 'failing in almost every area' just 5 months ago

Read more: Man charged after £15,000 handbag theft case flagged to Met Police chief on LBC

A Royal Parks spokesperson pleaded with the Metropolitan Police to reconsider.

They told LBC: "Any reduction in policing of our 5,000 acres of important landscapes in London will have a dramatic impact on the safety, security and wellbeing of the 77 million visitors we attract each year. There could be serious consequences as a result of this drop in funding and resources."

"We rely heavily on the skill, expertise and resilience of our exceptional policing colleagues, and would urge that they reconsider their plans. Only the MPS can enforce the Royal Parks Regulations”.

"The Royal Parks Operational Command Unit (OCU) and its predecessors have been a massive part of the rich history of the parks in London. We are deeply disappointed to hear that there could be severe cuts to policing of our parks".

Senior politicians also called on the government to protect the Royal Parks OCU. Labour MP's Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) and Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) said: “We believe that the Royal Parks Police should be shielded from any cuts... ensure that London’s world-class green spaces remain accessible and open to all.”

Meanwhile Richmond Council, which is home to two Royal Parks - Richmond Park and Bushy Park - urged the government to reconsider. The council's leader Gareth Roberts warned that losing the police "would put the safety of Richmond Park and Bushy Park at serious risk... Without dedicated police teams, both people and animals would be left vulnerable to crime and anti-social behaviour."

Planned cuts form part of the "tough choices" that the Met Police are having to make after the £450m funding gap with the Home Office.

In response, a Met spokesperson conceded that cuts were being considered. They told LBC: “As expected we are carefully planning for any tough choices we may have to make to ensure we live within the means of our future budget, but no final decisions have been made.”

They added: "We have been clear on the financial challenges we face and continue to have productive discussions with The Mayor and Home Office to ensure we have the resources to police London effectively."

Earlier this year, the Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said that he was "worried" about the organisation's future funding.

He told Nick Ferrari on LBC: "I won't know the final budget position until February... There will still be some budgetary problems".

Asked if individual Met police units that are at risk, Sir Mark said: "We are going to have to make some difficult choices. I wish I wasn't making these choices but we're going to have to."