KHAN ACCUSED OF CYNICAL BID TO LINK ATTACK TO POLICE NUMBERS

LABOUR’S London Mayor was accused of cynically taking advantage of yesterday’s terror attack to score a political point about police cuts.

Sadiq Khan used a television interview to criticise the lack of spending on officers. Even Mr Khan acknowledged the insensitive timing, saying: ‘Today may not be the day to say this at the Cobra meeting, but I’m not going to resile from what I’ve been saying over the last 16 months, which is that London needs more resources to keep our city safe.’

He said the events backed up his argument that the Metropolitan Police needed more money, adding: ‘Since 2010, we’ve lost hundreds of millions of pounds from the police budget.’

He told Sky News: ‘It’s simply not possible for a global city like London to carry on keeping our citizens, visitors and businesses safe if the Government carries on making the cuts they’ve been making.’

But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen criticised the Mayor. He said: ‘I would’ve thought Sadiq Khan would want to keep politics out of the terror attack – especially given his lamentable record on acid attacks and knife crime which have soared since he became Mayor of London.’