Official statistics show that as police officer and PCSO numbers have fallen in Warwickshire, crime has soared.

ONS figures released on Thursday show that from June 2017 to June 2018, police recorded crime in Warwickshire increased by four per cent. Robbery went up by 26 per cent, drugs related crime by 12 per cent and theft by five per cent.

Since the Tories came to power in 2010, the number of police officers in Warwickshire has fallen by 167 and the number of police community support officers has dropped by 57.

Debbie Bannigan, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Rugby, said:

“We can’t keep Warwickshire safe on the cheap. The Government is failing in their duty to protect Warwickshire and keep our people safe.

“Since they came to power, the Tories have cut over 160 police officers and over 50 police community support officers from Warwickshire. Our force here is now desperately understaffed and overstretched.

“The appalling result is that in just a year robbery went up by 26 per cent, drugs related crime by 12 per cent and theft by five per cent.

“We seem to be experiencing a crime wave in Rugby. This can’t go on. The figures show that this is a national problem – so it needs a national solution. If Theresa May really meant her promise to end austerity, then why isn’t she promising to cancel all the police cuts she has planned for the next four years? And why isn’t Mark Pawsey calling for the cuts to be cancelled in November’s Budget?

“These figures are an awful indictment of the Tory cuts. The next Labour Government will recruit 10,000 new police officers to address this crisis.”