A rise in crime, drug dealing, and violence has triggered an appeal to London Mayor Sadiq Khan to re-open a police station in 'soft target' Richmond.

A petition supporting action has received more than 500 signatories, including many parents of teenagers, and is hoping to hit a target of more than 1,000.

Richmond's police station was closed in 2017 and developed into flats and a pizza restaurant as part of a wider cost cutting effort dating back to Boris Johnson's time as mayor.

The petition calling for a new station and patrols was started by Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator in north Richmond, Pam Staffell.

The call follows the murder in Richmond of 39-year-old Tim Hipperson, together with the recent stabbing of a 14-year-old boy at Teddington Lock and a series of girl gang attacks in Twickenham.

Richmond Borough has been viewed as a low-crime area, however it has seen a rise in crime and antisocial behaviour ranging from Richmond Green and Riverside, to Twickenham, Teddington, and even leafy Bushy Park, with gangs of youths causing disorder.

Ms Staffell, aged 66, said: "We have recently had two stabbings, one in Teddington and another at the top of our road which resulted in a murder.

"There has been an ongoing issue with drug dealing around the area. There are constant complaints about open drug use, both cannabis and Class A drugs.

"We have a nursery school just by the alleyway where the man was murdered, and a school close by."

She said she and her neighbours have raised her concerns with the police, particularly around the lack of officers patrolling the area.

"They always say they just don't have the numbers, but it would help if we had people on patrol," she said.

"The rise in crimes in Richmond and the lack of a regular police presence and patrols in the borough must all be attributed to the closure of the police station."

More than 40 London police stations with public access to report crimes have closed in recent years, including Teddington, under cost-cutting measures.

Ms Staffell said: "Last summer there were particular problems around Richmond Green and the Riverside particularly on a Friday or Saturday night, and it is getting a reputation as a soft target.

"I have friends that live down there. They were bothered night after night and it really got to a crisis.

"They looked at bringing in private security. To be honest if you are not getting support from the police and the council and you can afford to make your property secure, I think you should be allowed to do that."

She said the number of police officers covering her area has fallen from around seven to three in recent years, which puts a lot of pressure on the officers.

"The government talks about having 20,000 new officers across the country, but they have cut more than that number since they came into office in 2010," she said.

Ms Staffell has taken the petition to local pubs, coffee shops, and garden centres across Richmond and Kew seeking signatures.

Nicholas Rogers, the South West London Conservative Assembly Member, has also shown support for the petition.

Mr Gareth Roberts and the two local MPs, Sarah Olney and Munira Wilson, have already raised concerns about rising crime levels and are seeking a meeting with Khan to ask for more police officers.

In a joint letter they said recent violence had provoked a strong reaction from residents who are "anxious for visible action".

They argued it is vital to provide "effective reassurance" to residents across the Richmond, Kew, Twickenham and Teddington area.

One resident who signed the petition wrote: "There is now too much crime in Richmond and the targets are teenage kids - this is not acceptable."

Another wrote: "There is an increasing amount of drug-related knife crime in Richmond."

A third complained: "I have lived in Richmond for 60 years and now I feel scared to walk out of my house.

"We need more local police on our streets. So many people are feeling unsafe in Richmond.

"For heaven's sake open the damn police station please."