Sadiq Khan: Met faces loss of front line staff under Tory plans

London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Daniel LEAL-OLIVASDANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The Metropolitan Police is facing the loss of thousands of front line officers under Conservative spending plans, London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned.

Mr Khan, who is Labour, said the force stood to lose between 3,400 and 12,800 constables - a reduction in its strength of between 10 per cent and 40 per cent - making it harder to foil future terror attacks such as the weekend attack on London Bridge.

He said the Met - which had had to make savings of £600 million since 2010 - was not only facing new cuts of £400 million but could face the further loss of between £184 million and £700 million a year under Conservative plans to change the police funding formula.

“Our city has suffered two awful terrorist attacks since I was elected as mayor - and we must do everything possible to stop there being any more,” he said.

“Police officers in our communities act as the eyes and ears of the security services, providing the intelligence and information that allows us to disrupt attempted terrorist attacks.

“Cuts on this scale would make it harder to foil future terrorist attacks on our city - and as the mayor of London I’m simply not willing to stand by and let that happen.”