The policing crisis faced by Hertsmere was brought to the attention of the Government this week when the borough's leading politicians visited the Home Office.

Hertsmere MP James Clappison and representatives from each of Hertsmere Borough Council's political groups alerted the Home Office minister responsible for police, Charles Clarke, to their concerns that Hertsmere is set to lose 90 per cent of its officers over coming months, as police borrowed by Hertfordshire Constabulary return to the Met Police.

During the half-hour meeting at the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon, the borough's Conservative leader, Councillor Stuart Nagler, appealed to the minister to extend the deadline for Met officers, seconded when Hertfordshire took over policing of Hertsmere last year, to return to the London force, giving Hertfordshire Constabulary more time to recruit and fill the gaps.

Councillor Nagler, who led the group, said: "There were 97 secondees in Hertsmere on January 1 this year, 65 are to go back to the Met in the next six months. This is unacceptable and I asked the minister to extend the deadline."

The other issues the council leader raised were: the fall in police numbers in the borough since Hertfordshire police's take-over; the difficulty of recruiting officers to work in Hertfordshire with the superior pay and benefits offered by the Met, and finally "the crisis of confidence in policing in Hertsmere".

Mr Nagler told the minister that the proposed merger of the Borehamwood-based Hertsmere police division with St Albans and Welwyn Hatfield, recently announced by Herftordshire police as part of a radical restructuring plan, would undermine residents' confidence in police who would no longer be based in the borough.

It is understood Mr Clarke promised to consider the secondment issue, and requested more information.

The leader said: "It was a useful meeting and the minister appeared to listen. But what the council and our residents want to see is action, not words. I hope Mr Clarke will come up with the goods while I am leader of this council I do not intend to let this matter get pushed under the carpet."

Mr Clappison added: "We made it clear to him how serious the situation is in Hertsmere as far as policing is concerned.

"He said he was going to take it away and there were one or two issues he wanted to consider. We are hoping he will come back with something to help us."

Labour group leader, Councillor Frank Ward, said he expected Mr Clarke would look into the secondment problem, although the minister did not accept there was a crisis in Hertsmere because of the comparatively low crime statistics.

Liberal Democrat councillor Miki Colne said Mr Clarke seemed enthusiastic about, and she hoped would support, a bid, involving Hertfordshire police and Hertsmere-based Ridgehill Housing Authority, which has been made to the Government for money to help officers buy homes in the county.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: " Mr Clark listened with interest to the representations, and promised to look at the issues that were raised."