Police get £100m to tackle spiralling knife crime epidemic

Police will get a £100 million cash injection to tackle the knife crime crisis, the Chancellor has announced.

The extra funding for forces in England has been earmarked for overtime costs and specialist units dedicated to combating serious violence.

While the measure was welcomed by police chiefs, one rank-and-file leader warned it was only a "short-term fix".

Ministers have come under pressure to provide a financial boost for police following a spate of fatal stabbings.

Total funding for forces in England and Wales reduced by 19% in real terms from 2010/11 and 2018/19, according to the National Audit Office. Officer numbers have fallen by nearly 20,000 since 2010.

In December, Home Secretary Sajid Javid unveiled a provisional settlement that could see police funding rise by nearly £1 billion from April, including money raised through council tax.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said many police and crime commissioners have already committed to using this extra funding to recruit and train additional officers.

"But that takes time," he said. "And action is needed now."

He said the additional £100 million over the course of the next year will be ring-fenced to pay for additional overtime targeted specifically on knife crime, and to fund new violent crime reduction units to deliver a "wider cross-agency response to this epidemic".

Mr Javid said the money, including £80 million of new funding from the Treasury, will allow police to swiftly crack down on knife crime in areas where it is most rife.

National Police Chiefs' Council chairwoman Sara Thornton welcomed the announcement.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the "limited action" but said it was a "drop in the ocean" compared with "huge cuts" to police and preventative services.