Colindale Police Station's front counter is to relocate seven miles away in Barnet while the building is refurbished.

The counter will close at 7am on April 5 and a front counter at Barnet Police Station, in the High Street, will open.

Colindale station, in Grahame Park Way, is within the North West Area Basic Command Unit (BCU), which covers Barnet, Brent and Harrow.

Supt Louis Smith said the refurbishment is a "necessary process" which might take around four months.

"The building in its current form doesn’t provide our staff with the facilities or equipment to provide the best possible service to our communities," he said.

"I would like to stress that this is temporary – this police station and its 24-hour front counter will re-open as soon as refurbishments have been completed.

“At no point will there be a gap in the ability of the public to gain immediate access to a police station in the local area."

The Met Police can also be contacted via its website, or by calling 101 or 999 in the case of an emergency.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be reached anonymously on 0800 555 111.