From now on police running through the streets of Kingston will almost always be a negative in Norbiton after ITV announced it was cancelling The Bill.

The show, which has run for 26 years, filmed in the borough four or five times a year, paying up to £9,000 annually for the privilege, which was used to fund community events and new facilities.

Jill Preston, chair of the Cambridge Road estates community group, said: “I’m sad to see it go. The people have taken it to their hearts over the years.

"People are quite proud of the fact it comes on the estate, and it’s not well known for many positive things.

"It was quite exciting. We got to know some of the people like Graham Cole [PC Tony Stamp] and Eric Richard [Sgt Bob Cryer].

"They were familiar faces, and it was good for the youngsters to see how it’s done."

The fees from the programme represented between a third and a half of Kingston’s £20-30,000 income from filming in the borough, and helped fund a playground and memorial bench in Cambridge Gardens, play equipment at the Hawkers Road clinic and the Cambridge Road estate fun day.

Lee Rowson, a 24-year-old plumber, said: “There was one where they had people coming down the side of the tower blocks and things like that. This was a couple of years back.

"They would chase people through Cambridge Gardens and there would be people hanging over the balconies. I sometimes saw some of my friends.

"When it was on the telly, if you were with people who were not from there it was a conversation starter if you did not know them.”

News of the show’s demise also dismayed residents of Merton, five miles to the east, where scenes of the show’s fictional Sun Hill police station were filmed.

ITV said the show was being decommissioned as a result of changing times and the changing tastes of their audience.

Lorriane Heggessey, chief executive of producers TalkbackThames said: “We are devastated that after 26 successful years on ITV, The Bill will be coming to an end.

"One of the show’s strengths has been its ability to evolve over the years as can be seen with the latest challenge of transforming itself into a 9pm prime time show.”

A council spokesman said: “The Bill has been a regular visitor to the royal borough for many years, drawing on a wide range of locations across the borough.

"The income from filming has been used by the council in recent years to boost funding for arts and community based in our neighbourhoods.

"This income has reduced year on year over the past 3-4 years, reflecting the economic recession that has hit the location budgets in the film industry."