A campaigner is calling on the Mayor of London to put more money into front-line policing rather than employing more staff at City Hall.

Kuha Kumaran, community activist and member of Harrow West Conservative Association, hit out at Sadiq Khan over plans to bring staffing levels at City Hall to more than 1,000.

Sadiq Khan is set to increase the number of City Hall employees to 1,000 under draft budget plans to recruit 92 more staff next year.

Mr Kumaran said: “We need more police on the streets rather than at City Hall.

“It will give residents the extra support they need in the winter months when it dets darker earlier and when children come back from school and feel threatened.

“The mayor has to get his priorities right and the safety of residents has to be a priority. Strengthening the admin side of City Hall is the lowest in order of priorities.”

Mr Kumaran said as the Mayor of London it is Mr Khan’s job to fight crime in the capital – it does not just fall to central government.

He added: “There are a lot of reported and unreported issues that have been overlooked by the Mayor of London.

“We can’t simply blame the crime on central government we have to prioritise it.”

Last week Mr Khan called for more funding from central government and warned that if they didn’t get more funding it could cause police numbers for fall to their lowest in 15 years.

Mr Kumaran said people in Harrow were “let down” and “furious” when they realised Mr Khan planned to employ more new City Hall staff in the new year rather than employing more police.

He added: “What made it worse is that they wondered why politicians are not speaking up and protecting the interests of local residents.

“This is the major issues affecting residents.

“The mayor has to be a bit more diligent and provide strong leadership because time is running out.

“People in Harrow feel hopeless that no one is left to step up. That’s not the Harrow I want to live in.”