Vince Cable

After years of pressure from the local police, custody visitors and MP Vincent Cable, funds have been found to create a new custody suite - of cells - for the borough, at Teddington police station.

The current cells are inadequate in scale and of poor quality - as the local custody visitors have repeatedly pointed out. Vincent Cable said: "we have had a ridiculous and worrying situation whereby violent and disorderly drunks, out binge drinking on a weekend, could not be detained because there were insufficient cells. I have repeatedly raised the issue with Home Office ministers and with the Metropolitan Police, and its good that the need has been belatedly recognised".