The Police Federation has branded Theresa May a liar after she claimed some officers had enjoyed a huge pay boost since the Conservatives came to power.

The union representing rank-and-file officers reacted with fury to the Prime Minister’s claim of “a real terms increase of 32 per cent” for new recruits.

Calling it a “downright lie” Calum Macloed, the Federation’s vice-chairman, said: “It shows they have lost touch with reality, if they ever had it, and are clueless as to the demands and dangers officers have to face on a daily basis to keep communities safe.

“Officers are struggling to keep their heads above water and all we are asking for is fair recognition.”

Mr Macloed insisted the reality for most officers was a pay slump of 16 per cent between 2009-10 and 2015-16, once inflation was taken into account.

“This cannot be right. We expect police officers to run in to the face of danger every day to protect the public however the Government refuses to give them the money they deserve,” he said.

The comments suggested an immediate backlash after the Prime Minister used question time in the Commons to insist it was wrong to claim long-running pay restraint had left police officers much worse off.

Instead, she pointed to “progression pay” and income tax cuts, saying: “They have actually seen an increase in their pay of over £9,000 since 2010 - a real terms increase of 32 per cent.”

However, the Prime Minister acknowledged the “calculation” applied only to “new police officers”. They are most likely to have automatically moved up the pay scale.

The comments came after the Government announced that police will receive a one-off two per cent pay rise for 2017-18, ending the one per cent cap on public sector salaries.

In the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn went on the attack, saying: “Does the Prime Minister understand that inflation is now 2.9 per cent?

“Anything less means that dedicated public servants are worse off again and they have been made worse off every year for the past seven years.”

The Labour leader added: “Can the Prime Minister guarantee that no more police, or prison officers, will be lost as a result of the decisions she has made this week?

But Ms May sidestepped the question, instead insisting she had followed recommendations made – for both police and prison officers – by independent bodies.

That was rejected by one Labour MP, Louise Haigh, who said the recommendation was for the Treasury, not police forces, to fund a pay rise above one per cent.

Afterwards, Downing Street claimed a new officer’s take-home pay had been about £18,000 in 2010, but – because of progression pay and a higher tax-free allowance – that was now £27,500.