A review into how CCTV is operated in Bexley will be carried out ahead of the new police merger later this year.

Superintendent Andy Carter from the Met Police gave an update to councillors Speaking at a communities scrutiny meeting.

The Met announced a restructuring in February that aims to save up to £70m.

It will see the 32 boroughs condensed into 12 larger units, with Bexley partnering Lewisham and Greenwich.

The new structure for these three boroughs will go live in the second wave of mergers at the end of November, and will see a new safeguarding hub established in Bexleyheath to deal with rape and child abuse.

Supt Carter said: “We’ve just undertaken a significant recruitment process and most officers have had their first choice.

“It’s a really exciting time, we are on track to go live. We have things already operating across the BCU (Basic Command Unit) and we will be ready and prepared.”

Cllr Alan Downing quizzed the superintendent on CCTV in the other boroughs, following on from a campaign in Bexley to reinstate the live-monitoring of cameras.

A petition against a 2016 decision to hand CCTV over to police to use when they need it, but no longer have council staff watching in real time, was backed by hundreds of people earlier this year.

Supt Carter said: “The other two boroughs do have CCTV and I’m mindful that there are some real challenges here around CCTV.

“What I’m going to do is set up a working group to review the situation with CCTV here.

“The operations room is designed to have some monitoring with the local authorities, but there’s quite a long way to go before we know if that will definitely happen. I’ll look to address concerns around the CCTV.”

Under the merger an operations room will be established in Lewisham, and will be the “heartbeat” of all activity.

Half of officers will be based at Bexleyheath police station, and custody will be reopened there following the campaign to stop the Mayor of London selling the building last year.

“It’s timely now we review CCTV and come of for a system that’s best for everybody,” the superintendent added.

Bexley Council welcomed the news after the meeting. 

A spokesman said: "The council welcomes the decision the police have taken to review CCTV in Bexley as part of the introduction of their new Basic Command Unit.

"It makes sense for them to look at what they have in place across three boroughs as the BCU is shaped to ensure it is used to help keep our residents safe as is intended.

"Earlier this week  at the London Congress, the council leader, Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE raised the previous proposal of a pan-London CCTV system with the Mayor of London and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and received an assurance that this option is still being looked at."