A BOLTON MP has slammed the Government over a "shocking" crime rise in the region.

Sir David Crausby has said that the Government is "failing to protect the public" after new figures revealed that crime in Greater Manchester is soaring as the Tory cuts lead to historic nationwide lows in police numbers.

The figures, taken from Police Recorded Crime statistics announced yesterday, show that violent crime committed in Greater Manchester rose by 41 per cent between March 2017 and March 2018.

They also showed that robberies surged by 48 per cent and total recorded crime grew by 27 per cent, during the same period.

However, since 2010 Greater Manchester Police has lost 1799 officers and 196, according to recent figures.

The Bolton North East MP said:“The Government gambled with public safety when they chose to slash officer numbers. Now crime is on the rise and the public can’t even have confidence that the police will turn up.

"The Government are failing in their duty to protect the public and it’s shameful.”

The Labour Party say that police budgets have been cut by £2.7 billion in real terms since 2010, breaking promises made by the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to protect such funding.

Labour also said that while the Police Settlement for 2018/19 promised up to £450 million for the police, funding for local forces will be slashed by at least £100 million.

Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister said: “The Tories have lost control of the fight against serious crime.”

“Rather than tackle surging crime we have a Prime Minister so overwhelmed by fighting internal battles that she was desperate to go on holiday early.”

“It is high time the Prime Minister and Home Secretary faced up to their responsibility and urgently act to put police officers back on our streets. The Tory record on crime has seen eight years of wretched failure with devastating consequences for our communities.”

The Home Office has been approached for comment.