New official figures show the true extent of the cuts to the region’s police forces under the Conservative-led government.

The Home Office statistics show that the number of police officers serving in the North East has shrunk by 451 since the General Election in 2010, with over 200 posts lost in the six months between March and September 2011. Meanwhile, Cumbria Constabulary has reduced its force by 83 police officers since the election.

Figures also show that 1,010 police support staff have also been axed in the North East since September 2010.

Commenting on these figures, Bridget said:

“By taking hundreds of police officers off the beat in the region, the Tory-led government is taking a huge risk in the fight against crime. The scale of the cuts since the General Election, with Northumbria alone losing 175 officers, is deeply worrying. Taken together with the loss of over a thousand police support staff, these reductions are placing a huge strain on our local police forces. The government is cutting too fast and cutting too deeply.”