Boris Johnson: Historical Child Abuse Investigation Is "Spaffing Money Up The Wall"

Boris Johnson has said that spending police budgets on historical child abuse is "spaffing money up the wall".

The former Foreign Secretary was responding to a question live on LBC on which he was asked whether cuts to the police service are linked to the rise in violent crime in London.

Mr Johnson insisted that a more sensible use of police budgets was more important - and it was his choice of words which proved most controversial.

He said: "I think an awful lot of money, an awful lot of police time, now goes into these historic offences and all this malarkey and you know £60million I saw has been spaffed up the wall on some investigation into historic child abuse?

"What on earth is that going to do to protect the public now?

Boris Johnson used a controversial phrase when discussing historical sexual abuse. Picture: LBC

"What the people want is to see officers out on the streets doing what they signed up to do."

Listeners pointed out that he wasn't a stranger to wasting money on projects. One councillor responded: