Several sources claim that the lamp-post located on the south-east corner of Trafalgar Square is the ‘World’s Smallest Police Station’. The lamp-post was installed around 1826, and some reports even suggest that the ornamental lamp on top came from Lord Nelson’s 1805 flagship, the HMS Victory. Apparently, the police box was installed during the 1930s to control the demonstrators and protestors who would often gather in the Square. The pillar, large enough to hold only one police officer, was fitted with a door, an interior light, and a phone line that connected directly to Scotland Yard to call for back-up. Today, the post appears to be used for storage and equipment for the Westminster street-cleaners. Currently, the acts prohibited within Trafalgar Square are outlined in the Mayor of London’s bylaws including: no placing of canoes or inflatable objects in any fountain; no barbecuing; no feeding the birds; no erecting tents for the purpose of sleeping; and no riding on any animal in the Square. (www.london.gov.uk)
- World’s Smallest Police Station?
- Trafalgar Square, London WC2
- Underground: Charing Cross