A vintage police car used to take violent gangster Reggie Kray into custody was the star attraction at a police station’s open day.

Residents were able to view the 1968 Jaguar 3.8S at the Sutton police station event, which attracted more than 3,700 people – double the number attending last year.

Visitors also saw police demonstrate how their dog unit, bomb squad, traffic police and mounted branch operate during the behind-the-scenes day.

Guided tours were given around the 35-cell custody suite and the control room, which contains the CCTV monitors showing images from around the borough.

Specialist Metropolitan Police teams demonstrated the latest police technology, including the Bomb Squad’s robotic vehicle, the electronic taser and firearms’ equipment and the traffic police’s latest cars and motorcycles.

Vintage police objects were also on display including a Peeler’s uniform and a police rattle from 1829.

Detective Chief Superintendent Guy Ferguson said: “It is was a marvellous day and fantastic that about 2 per cent of Sutton’s population turned up.

“The event is all about giving people a good time and an opportunity to talk to police officers in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.”

Inspector Richard Hall, who organised the event, said: “The numbers exceeded our expectations and officers who gave up their weekend to help were thrilled with its success.”

A spokesman for the police said other popular attractions included the five eight-week-old springer spaniel puppies, which may go on to detect drugs or explosives at the Olympic Games in London.

Equally popular were the two horses presented by Mounted Branch.

Officers from the Met’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command, who have a regional office behind Sutton police station, provided details of their 94 per cent clear-up rate out of 93 murder cases in south London in the past year.

They also included details of previous murder investigations including PC Patrick Dunne, who died instantly after being shot in the chest in Clapham in 1993 after being called to a minor domestic dispute.

The team’s regional office in Sutton is named in honour of the fallen PC.