Borough commander Paul Ricketts and Mayor Lutfur Rahman at the previous launch of the Partnership Task Force at Chrisp Street Market last year

An extra 17 police officers are joining Tower Hamlets force to make up for staff cutbacks imposed on all Scotland Yard stations.

Tower Hamlets Council announced this afternoon that it is providing the cash to pay for 16 constables and one sergeant.

The officers will be funded over a three-year period and will hit the borough’s streets this summer.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman said: “Our Annual Residents Survey shows that crime remains - by far - the top personal concern for borough residents. That is why tackling community safety is my priority.”

Police forces across England and Wales currently face cuts of 20 per cent and there have already been reductions in numbers of frontline officers in the Metropolitan Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

The East End’s jointly-funded unit, the Partnership Task Force, was set up to keep frontline officer numbers up and

dealing with drugs and anti-social behaviour will be a top objection.

The extra officers will join 16 others brought in last year and also paid for by the council.

This takes the total investment in policing from the town hall to £1.5 million.

Tower Hamlets police has also provided a further five officers and a sergeant to the unit.

The council said the taskforce will work closely alongside a team of enforcement officers which it introduced in 2009.

Dubbed THEOs, the officers deal with anti-social behaviour like street drinking, graffiti, dog fouling and littering.

They do not have the same powers as police officers but are accredited by the Met.

Borough Commander Paul Rickett said the THEOs and his police officers have a “successful track record” of working together.