bluskis
I see yr point - and you are probably right in as much as it is about staffing numbers.
But who is to pay for these extra staff? Maybe it is time that the CAA/DAP bit the bullet and set up and paid for a "London" LARS service?
I would guess that most units are staffed adequately for the task of providing their own in and outbounds (IFR and VFR) and little more.
As it is, Thames area of operation for VFR traffic is officially described as within the M25 as for west as the north-south line through Battersea EXCLUDING the 10 mile radius of Biggin. It doesn't take much to see that there isn't much airspace outside CAS in that bit! Still - I regularly give a service as far as BNN and as far south as MAY and DET - but ALL SUBJECT to CITY and BIGGIN IFR traffic.
My point is that we do more than we have to already. I personally believe that the lack of LARS for such a busy piece of airspace as under the LTMA, is simply shocking. You can no longer expect busy units to work such traffic.
I think we are a long way off a Zurich scenario.