This morning I met with a group of local councillors and Vera Baird, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Northumbria. We discussed a number of issues raised by local residents. These included concerns regarding 101 response times, motorbike disorder, and police resources.

Government funding cuts continue to hit our police force hard. Northumbria Police has faced the largest funding cut of all police forces in the country, and our local officers are working harder than ever. I’ll continue to press ministers in Parliament to give police the resources they need to keep our communities safe.