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Good Morning Britain's Alex Beresford interrupted a debate today to give a passionate rant on the knife crime epidemic.

The GMB weatherman shouted across the studio to call for changes to the environment kids are brought up in.

He hit back at John Apter, Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, who demanded we build more prisons to act as a punishment.

Alex shouted: "Prison doesn't work though. It does not work.

"I've grown up in some of these communities you guys are talking about. Prison is not a deterrent. Some of these boys don't fear prison.

(Image: ITV) (Image: ITV)

"If you don't change the environment you wont change anything and that's the key thing.

"This has been happening for years. And it's not always in the media. It won't change. It's going to take several things to come together. Yes policing is one thing."

Passionate Alex argued that everyone in the room had benefited from the environment they grew up in.

(Image: ITV)

He continued "At the end of the day, if you don't change these boys' environment.

"All of you guys on that side have benefited from the environment you've grown up in. You've benefited from this work environment. I've benefited from it.

"But these boys, not all of them get to benefit from the enivironment. If we don't show them something else you won't change it, sorry."

(Image: ITV)

Piers Morgan argued that there needed to be a two-pronged attack on the cause and on those deciding to carry "large killing devices.

In response, Alex said: "Often you don't catch them Piers. Avon and Somerset Police I know for a fact do knife sweeps.

"Often you get the innocent young black boy who gets stopped by police and gets frustrated. We've all seem them on social media where they get arrested because they can't control their anger.

"That's how that relationship with the police breaks down."

(Image: ITV)

Earlier on, John Apter slammed Theresa May over her claims police cuts were not behind the recent rise in knife crime.

He said: “It’s personal Piers. The Home Secretary, when she was Home Secretary [Theresa May] made it clear what her contempt for policing and police officers was.”

He added: “I’m proud to be a police officer, I talk about consequence of police cuts because I care about policing. For the leader of the country to say there is no correlation, it’s delusional. I couldn’t believe what she was saying.

“Over the past ten years, we have lost almost 22,000 police officers. Not only the police officers, we’ve lost tens of thousands of police staff, community support officers. It’s also then the social services, the youth community, the education system, the criminal justice system. The government’s austerity plan has failed spectacularly. We warned this would happen.”

(Image: ITV)

Good Morning Britain viewers took to Twitter to praise Alex and call for him to get a permanent spot on the main desk.

One viewer said: "So glad you spoke up Alex. We must deal with the issue but Prevention is better than cure. Dealing with the root cause is always the best way to remove the issue."

"Great to see Alex back & his contribution to the discussion. He should be on here more often & not just presenting the weather," added another.

A third agreed: "Why is Alex stuck on the weather desk...deserves to be on the panel! Everyday xxx"

*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am

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