Rishi Sunak to announce recruitment of 20,000 police officers since 2019

PM ‘confident’ that government has met pledge made at last general election on police numbers in England and Wales

Rishi Sunak is due to announce that the government has successfully recruited 20,000 police officers since 2019, as critics point out that a similar number have been cut by Tory-led administrations since 2010.

In a statement, the prime minister said: “When I stood at the steps of Downing Street six months ago, I made clear that I would do whatever it takes to cut crime and make our communities safer. At the heart of that pledge is recruiting 20,000 additional police officers.