New crime statistics this month have revealed a further acceleration in rates of violent crime, including a 22% jump in rates of knife crime.

The Government can no longer hide behind excuses for the state of public safety, as serious violent crime threatens communities across the country. The loss of 21,000 officers and 17,000 police staff has left the remaining police seriously overstretched, while cuts to other public services have left many with the police as the only service left to call in an emergency.

It’s not just knife crime where the statistics are startling – robberies are up by a third, sexual offences up by 25% and gun crime up by 11%. In South Yorkshire, recorded crime is up by a third in just one year, with violence against the person seeing a staggering 57% jump.