Manchester police shootings: Theresa May rules out arming police

• Mrs May restated government opposition to routine arming of officers

• Home secretary briefed by senior GMP officers

Mrs May cut short her holiday to travel back to the UK to visit the force HQ of Greater Manchester Police yesterday.

The minister was given a two-hour briefing by senior officers conducting the investigation into the double murder of their own colleagues, which

the home secretary described as “savage acts of pure brutality”.

Pcs Nicola Hughes, 23, and Fiona Bone, 32, died in a gun and grenade attack on Tuesday morning after being lured to a house on the Hattersley estate, Tameside, on a “routine” call.

Speaking from GMP’s HQ, the Home Secretary pledged to support police in their investigation but again stated government policy was against the

routine arming of officers.

“The Home Office have been supporting Greater Manchester Police in the work that they’ve been doing in relation to this case over the past week

and will continue to do so,” she said.

“I’m clear that every resource that GMP needs should be made available to it and forces across the country have been giving support in the work

that GMP are doing.

“I think we are clear we have a British model of policing that is one that our police very much support.

“I think that routine unarmed policing that goes on in our streets is right. I don’t think this is the time to be calling for the arming of

police.”