Chesterfield MP, Toby Perkins, joined Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in expressing dismay at the Tory dismal record on law and order.

In particular, Labour have attacked the Tories’ failure to keep local communities safe, as new analysis shows huge reductions in staffing for neighbourhood policing across the country.

The most recent crime statistics show a 24% increase in reported robbery since 2015 and a shocking 91% increase in knife crime in the East Midlands region.

Labour has pledged to bring back neighbourhood policing by putting 13,000 more neighbourhood police on Britain’s streets, including recruiting at least 10,000 more officers, PCSOs and specials.

Labour’s plans are the equivalent of giving every constituency in England and Wales 15-20 extra neighbourhood police – formed of officers, PCSOs, and Specials.

Across the country, the number of PCSOs has halved since the Conservatives came to power in 2010. In the same period, the proportion of people saying they never see a police officer on the beat has doubled.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP said:

“The Tories have completely decimated neighbourhood policing, leaving our communities without the protection they need.

“Knife crime has shot up putting young lives at risk, meanwhile antisocial behaviour is blighting town centres and local communities. But the neighbourhood police who could prevent crimes like this and support victims have disappeared.

“Labour has a serious plan to bring back neighbourhood policing, with a fully-funded package for 13,000 extra neighbourhood police on our streets.

“The last Labour government brought in neighbourhood policing, and now, after more than a decade of Tory neglect, we will restore it.”

Toby said:

“The Tories have always tried to talk tough on crime, yet time and time again they fail to follow through and keep our streets safe.

“Underneath these horrific figures are thousands of victims’ experiences that could have been prevented if this Government hadn’t destroyed neighbourhood policing in the way that they have for more than a decade.

He added “I’m proud to be part of a Party that takes its duty to safeguard its citizens with the upmost seriousness, and I’m delighted to support the pledge to restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 extra officers to keep our streets and communities safe”.