THERE is a direct link between cuts in police numbers and a UK-wide increase in violent crime, Torfaen MP Nick Thomas-Symonds has said.

The Labour MP made the comments in Parliament this week during a debate on efforts to tackle violent crime marking the anniversary of last year's Manchester Arena bombing, in which 22 people were killed.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said figures had shown 1.35 million violent crimes were reported in the UK last year - almost twice as many as in 2009, just eight years earlier, when it was 700,000.

"I am not saying that adequate resourcing is sufficient on its own to tackle these multifaceted issues, but it is necessary if we are to take all the action needed," he said.

"It cannot be said that police numbers are irrelevant."

The Torfaen MP pointed to a leaked Home Office document which suggested a five per cent decrease in officers since 2014 as well as an increase in recorded sex offences had put police under increased pressure and "may have encouraged offenders".

"Home Office ministers should be heeding the advice they are being given," he said.

"We have spoken a great deal in the house today about the 21,000 fewer police officers, but we must not forget either that more than 18,000 police support staff have been cut, in addition to more than 6,000 police community support officers. The statistics really are damning."

Mr Thomas-Symonds also outlined other government figures showed significant increases in homicide, knife crime in recent years, as well as firearms offences - which increased by 31 per cent between 2013 and 2017.

"Every statistic I have quoted is about young lives being spoilt or endangered, young lives crying out for intervention," he said.

"I say to ministers - do not dismiss the impact of police numbers.

"The Metropolitan Police Commissioner makes the link with finances, the leaked Home Office document makes the link, common sense makes the link."

He added: "I go back to what the prime minister said when she became home secretary in 2010: 'Nobody should accept a situation where at least 26,000 people fall victim to crime every day'.

"I have looked at the crime survey for England and Wales.

"In the year ending September 2017, there were more than 10.5 million recorded criminal incidents, which works out at over 29,000 per day - 3,000 more per day than in 2010.

"If the prime minister tells us that that was unacceptable in 2010, why on Earth should we accept it in 2018?"