Police demonstrated how their dog unit, bomb squad, traffic police and mounted branch operate during a behind-the-scenes station open day.

More than 1,800 residents were also given the opportunity to watch demonstrations from the dog unit, bomb squad, traffic police and mounted police, during the event at Sutton Police station on Sunday.

Youngsters also took part in a CID observation test after watching a video clip of two men running from a crime scene and have their fingerprints taken by forensic experts and murder squad detectives.

Police also revealed the Met’s vintage vehicle fleet, which included Margaret Thatcher’s protection vehicle - a heavily armoured and gas attack protected Rover 3.5 V8, which is the only car of its type in the world.

A spokesman said one of the most popular attractions was the custody suite with its cells and breathalyser technology and the CCTV monitoring room complete with its six high definition screens which display images from the 70 plus CCTV cameras located around the borough.

The open day was arranged to give residents an opportunity to find out more about what Police officers do and how officers are working to make Sutton safer.

Borough Commander Guy Ferguson said: “I’m thrilled that so many people came along and stayed to learn how we are working with local communities in Sutton to keep crime low and to raise public confidence in the police.

“Policing works best when there is a close partnership between Police and residents and that’s what we want to see more of in Sutton.”

Superintendent Chas Bailey said what impressed him was the depth of interest that residents were asking about a whole range of policing issues from the national debate about the DNA database to why police cordons are up for so long.

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