Kingston's popular borough commander, Chief Superintendent Jeffrey Brathwaite, has announced his retirement after three years in the job.

He will step down in June after 30 years in the Metropolitan Police Force. A replacement has yet to be appointed.

Under Chief Supt Brathwaite, 54, the borough has remained one of the safest in London, consistently having some of the lowest figures for violent and serious crimes.

In the 2003 New Year Honours he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in recognition of his years of service and pioneering work in tackling race crime and was on the task force set up in the wake of the inquiry into the investigation of the Stephen Lawrence murder.

Kingston was his first post as a borough commander.