Forest Gate fire: Officers relocated after huge blaze at east London police station
Teams of Met Police officers in east London are being relocated after a major blaze at Forest Gate police station on Wednesday.
The roof of the station was “completely destroyed” in the huge fire, which saw around 175 firefighters called to the scene shortly after 4pm.
Some 60 people were evacuated from the building, but nobody was believed injured.
In an update on Saturday, Scotland Yard said 999 response officers had now been moved to Plaistow Police Station on Barking Road, while a mobile front counter has been set up at Stratford Police Station in West Ham Lane.
Officers will also be temporarily stationed outside the cordon surrounding Forest Gate station for members of the public to contact them.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the London Fire Brigade.
Detective Superintendent Charles Clare, overseeing the recovery operation, said the Met’s policing service to residents in east London “remains unchanged”.
“Our continuity plan is now well under way, and our 999 response officers have been relocated to Plaistow Police Station which will serve as our patrol base,” he said.
“While the building itself is a work in progress, we have all we need to ensure policing for communities in Newham is uninterrupted.”
While the station is closed, officers say anyone due to return there on bail has been contacted and will need to report to Stratford Police Station.
Det Supt Clare added: “I am incredibly proud of the way my officers have changed their shifts at short notice, shared uniform and kit and flexed to fit around an awful set of circumstances in order to ensure business as usual for policing in Newham.
“The response from London Fire Brigade and borough partners, 35 of whom gathered for an emergency planning meeting on the night of the fire, has been exceptional.”
Police said at an earlier media briefing on Thursday that officers had “lost personal items in the fire, such as wedding rings and car keys”.
However, officers have had lost equipment re-issued, said the force.
In its latest update on the fire, the London Fire Brigade said: “Our specialist Fire Investigators will now begin to carry out their investigation into the cause of the fire.
“Due to the scale and nature of the incident, this is may be a protracted investigation."