A radical overhaul of policing in Lambeth is planned, in what the borough’s top cop has billed as “probably the most significant change to the service in years”.

Scores of officers are set to be transferred into neighbourhood policing, as borough commander Chief Superintendent Nick Ephgrave oversees a pilot scheme that could form the model for policing across London.

Two thirds of officers who make up the borough’s emergency response teams are instead set to join “neighbourhood teams” to bolster community policing.

The change sparked concerns police response times to 999 calls could be increased, but Chief Supt Ephgrave said response teams currently pick up a lot of slack for other police work.

This means the restructure would not affect the number of response officers attending emergency calls, he said.

Chief Supt Ephgrave said the move was not in anticipation of having fewer police in the borough because of impending cuts, but admitted funding concerns had “brought a climate of change”.

He said: “Highly visible, community-based officers are really popular with people, and we want to provide more.

“I’m looking to reorganise our policing resources to put more officers into community-based teams that can support safer neighbourhood teams (SNTs) on the ground.”

The new teams are set to be based out of each of the borough’s six police stations, and will cover “clusters” of three of four wards. They should be implemented from January.

If the pilot is approved by the Metropolitan Police it will cover policing responsibilities set by the inspectors that lead them, as opposed to resident-led SNT panels.

The move is set to see one superintendent dropped from the borough's senior command.

Jim Toohil, secretary of policing watchdog the Lambeth Community Police Consultative Group, said: “Clearly all public services are under pressure to cut costs.

“We will be monitor any changes to see they do not affect the frontline services.”

He said he welcomed the move, if the measures did not affect response times, improved community policing and simplified police roles.