THE secretary of a club in South Oxhey had to wait nearly four hours for police to arrive after reporting a break-in there on Monday.

Mr Greg Shumake, secretary of the William Morris Labour Club in Henbury Way, contacted the police at 10.23am after finding the club's storeroom had been broken into.

About £2,200 in cash had been stolen and bottles of spirits smashed.

Mr Shumake (pictured surveying the damage) said the police called him after two hours to say they would be at the scene an hour later, but an officer did not arrive at the club until after 2pm.

Two officers finally examined the club's storeroom on Monday evening. After they left, Mr Shumake found a hand-held saw he believes was used in the break-in.

He said: 'I told the police about it and they said they would pick it up on Tuesday.

'It is now Wednesday and they have not bothered to come.

'I feel totally let down and unsupported.

'We need reassurance that we have an active police force, especially in light of recent events in the area. What happens if there is a violent incident in the club?

'I do not blame the officers themselves - but there is a police station down the road, and to wait four hours is ridiculous.'

A police spokesman said an officer was sent to the club at 10.52am but was redeployed to a 'high grade' incident at a house in Rickmansworth, where police thought intruders might still have been on the premises.

Another unit was despatched at 11.45am but this was also redeployed to a high level intruder alarm, this time in Chorleywood.

The spokesman said at 2.11pm an officer went to the Labour Club and took a full burglary report.

The thieves got in through the roof of the storeroom - the only room without security cameras.

Mr Shumake said: 'It seems they knew the layout of the club, which makes me think they had been here before.'