STOP THE STABBINGS
Cops blast Theresa May as PM insists cuts to police AREN’T to blame for knife crime crisis
The Prime Minister said there is no 'direct correlation' between falling numbers of police officers and the increase in knife crime
THERESA May today sparked an angry backlash from cops after she insisted the knife crime epidemic can't be blamed on cuts to the police.
The Prime Minister claimed there is no direct link between falling numbers of officers on the street and a recent surge in deadly stabbings.
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But the police "union" slammed Mrs May's comments - calling her "delusional" and blasting: "Policing has been stripped to the bone."
Ex-Met chief Bernard Hogan-Howe added that more cops are needed on the beat NOW to stem the flow of killings.
Mrs May said there was no "direct correlation" between cuts and crime and insisted ministers are doing all they can to tackle the crisis.
Speaking to reporters in Salisbury she said there was a cross-government approach, adding: "What matters is how we ensure that police are responding to these criminal acts when they take place, that people are brought to justice.
"A lot of this is gang-related, some of it will be drugs-related, there are a wide variety of issues that need to be addressed here and that's what the Government is doing."
John Apter, head of the Police Federation, hit back saying: "Our Prime Minister is delusional, steadfastly refusing to acknowledge what is plain for everyone else to see, and in the face of a national crisis that is deeply concerning.
"Policing has been stripped to the bone and the consequences are clear, splashed across newspaper front pages and TV news bulletins - children being murdered on our streets.
"What makes this all the more sickening is that it was predicted. This is the true cost of austerity that we warned of but were ridiculed for doing so."
Earlier Sir Bernard told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "I asked Nick Hurd, the police minister, well how many more cops are we going to get for the extra money they are putting in?
When are they going to be here?
Sir Bernard Hogan Howe on extra police
"To be fair the Government are putting more money now into policing. He said about two-and-a-half thousand cops. That's too few."
And he said they needed to make them a priority now, adding: "And the second question is, when are they going to be here?
"Even if you press the button today and, I would argue, get the 20,000 back, you're not going to get them tomorrow.
"You've got to recruit them, you've got to train them. You've got loads of things to do."
He said that kids were more worried about being caught without a knife than with one - because they fear they won't be able to protect themselves.
And he demanded that the Government appoint a knives tsar to tackle the problem urgently, saying there was a lack of leadership and jointed up thinking.
Crime in the capital and elsewhere has spiralled in the last few years, with knife crime particularly getting out of control on our streets.
Knife attacks on under 16s are up by 93 per cent, shocking figures revealed today.
Police are searching for two suspects they believe were involved in the stabbing of Jodie Chesney last Friday - she tragically died at the scene.
Jodie was the 18th murder in the capital this year so far.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid is meeting police chiefs later to discuss what more can be done to stop the violence.
He said today the attacks "can't go on".
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"We’re taking action on many fronts and I’ll be meeting police chiefs this week to hear what more can be done," he added.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan was blasted for jetting off on a mini break during the crisis, The Sun revealed.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "shocked" he'd gone away to Morocco over the weekend.
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