Community safety is worse under the Tories, that’s just fact say Labour.

Eleven years of cuts to the service saw 21,000 police jobs being cut. And now the Tories are telling us they’re investing in the police, when they are merely going a little way to putting back what they previously stripped out of the service.

Northumberland Labour’s shadow cabinet member for community services Alex Wallace said: “For a party which says it’s the party of law and order, the Tories’ handling of the police service is a shambles.

“Police numbers are down and community policing has been decimated. Officers, many of whom have to put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis to protect the public, have had an insulting pay freeze and frontline police have declared a vote of no confidence in the Home Secretary.

“On their watch anti social behaviour is rising and convictions are falling. This is no way to protect the public. The government has a duty of care to the people of this country and the police who work hard every day to protect them.

“In Northumberland we will be pressing through the council and MPs that this is addressed and the government steps up to properly protect the people of this country.

Luckily here in the Northumbria area our local Commissioner Kim McGuinness is working hard with all communities and investing in the right areas to keep us safe. The same can’t be said in other areas.”