Cuts threaten counter terror police

THE West Midlands could lose one in ten counter terror officers by 2020 as a result of tough new funding cuts.

Britain’s most senior police officer, Sara Thornton, revealed that counter-terrorism funding will be cut by 7.2 per cent by 2020.

The national counter terror budget is £707 million, while the Government’s projected cuts of 7.2 per cent equate to £51 million, or 1,018 police officers.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “These figures suggest nationally we could lose around 1,000 counter-terror police officers in just three years.

“In the West Midlands it could mean we lose nearly one in ten of our 700 counter-terror officers. The Government is failing in its duty to give the police the funding they need to protect the public.

“In the West Midlands it costs us £100,000 a day whilst at the critical terror threat level and for some days after. Officers doing longer shifts then need to be rested, meaning the return to normal neighbourhood policing duties can take up to a week.”

The news came in the week it was confirmed that the number of armed police officers patrolling Birmingham’s New Street Station is to be stepped up fol- lowing the recent terror attacks.

British Transport Police are recruiting a new set of specialist firearms officers for both New Street and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

The security step-up follows the Westminster, Manchester Arena, London Bridge and Parsons Green terror attacks. The force stressed that, although there was a general increase in the terror level, it was not responding to any direct threat against the rail network.

New Street is the UK’s busiest rail station outside London, with 39 million journeys a year.

New recruits will start joining the force later this year. surge in UK