Theresa May squirmed as she was heckled by voters over funding for schools and the NHS tonight.

But she moved to reassure pensioners in the wake of the 'Dementia Tax' row by reiterating that there will be an 'absolute cap' on how much they face paying for social care.

She also fended off difficult questions about the reduction in the number of police officers.

The rough ride as she faced the audience in a Sky News and Channel 4 election special, with just over a week to go until the nation goes to the polls.

Earlier, Jeremy Corbyn was pummelled by voters over his support for the IRA during its reign of terror, refused to say whether his shadow chancellor still wants to abolish MI5, and declined to endorse his party's support for the nuclear deterrent.

He also again declined to say whether he thought immigration should come down after Brexit.

Mrs May has been trying to get back on the front foot after a series of polls showed the race narrowing in the wake of the Tory manifesto - which included the controversial shake-up of the social care system.

The Prime Minister tonight defended her proposals that would see some pensioners pay more for her care - but reiterated that there will also be an 'absolute cap' on costs

Mrs May also fended off questions about the reduction in the number of police officers, and was given a rough ride over schools funding

Mrs May endured brickbats from the studio audience as she was asked to justify cuts to real-terms per pupil funding.

'I think it's important that we see a fair way of funding our schools. What we're committing to is ensuring that, as we introduce that, schools do not see a cash fall in their funding,' she said.

Pressed on the fact that there were real-terms cuts in the pipeline, she said: 'Nobody can guarantee a real-terms per pupil increase. In the Labour Party's manifesto, we know the figures do not add up.'

But the remark drew jeers from some members of the public. She was heckled agains when she was braced on what happened to the Vote Leave pledge of £350million a week extra for the NHS.

'We will be able to look, as funding comes back, how we use that funding,' Mrs May said.

'We can only get that deal if we've got a plan to go in there and really stand up for Britain.'

In an interview after the Town Hall session, Mrs May was challenged by Jeremy Paxman that her volte face on social care - promising a cap on costs after initially ruling one out - meant Brussels negotiators would think she is a 'blowhard who collapses at the first sound of gunfire'.

'I think you'll find that what the people in Brussels look at is the record that I have of negotiating with them… on justice and home affairs, which people said we were never going to get and I got those negotiations,' she replied frostily.

Asked about her reputation as a 'bloody difficult woman', Mrs May said: 'Sometimes you have to be … We stand at a very important moment in our history.

'We have an opportunity now to really change this country for the better for the future.

Mrs May endured brickbats from the studio audience as she was asked to justify cuts to real-terms per pupil funding

In an interview after the Town Hall session, Mrs May was challenged by Jeremy Paxman that her volte face on social care meant Brussels negotiators would think she is a 'blowhard who collapses at the first sound of gunfire'

The Prime Minister and Mr Corbyn were both grilled by arch-inquisitor Jeremy Paxman

'That is about Brexit, but it's also about facing up to domestic challenges... If in order to address them and do the right thing by the country it takes being a difficult woman, that's exactly what I'll be.'

Paxman repeatedly demanded confirmation from Mrs May that she was willing to leave the EU without a deal if necessary.

She replied: 'No deal is better than a bad deal. I want to get a good deal from the European Union.

'What I don't want is the sort of bad deal some people are talking about… some people in the UK talk as if they're willing to do anything to get a deal…

PM IS HECKLED OVER SCHOOLS AND NHS FUNDING Theresa May endured brickbats from the studio audience as she was asked to justify cuts to real-terms per pupil funding. 'I think it's important that we see a fair way of funding our schools. What we're committing to is ensuring that, as we introduce that, schools do not see a cash fall in their funding,' she said. Pressed on the fact that there were real-terms cuts in the pipeline, she said: 'Nobody can guarantee a real-terms per pupil increase. In the Labour Party's manifesto, we know the figures do not add up.' But the remark drew jeers from some members of the public. She was heckled agains when she was braced on what happened to the Vote Leave pledge of £350million a week extra for the NHS. 'We will be able to look, as funding comes back, how we use that funding,' Mrs May said. 'We can only get that deal if we've got a plan to go in there and really stand up for Britain.' Advertisement

'You have to (be prepared to walk away). In negotiations you have to recognise that you're not in there to get a deal at any price; we're in there to get a better deal for the UK. And actually I'm optimistic about that.'

Mrs May refused to give a figure for the cap on social care costs - and defended the prospect of some pensioners being forced to pay more for care at home.

'It's about ensuring that nobody is going to have to sell their house to pay for care in their lifetime,' she said.

'What we're doing is ensuring that we can have a sustainable solution for the long term.'

The pensioner who asked the question said he was not particularly happy with what was being done on social care - but would still be voting for the Tories.

Taking the first turn in the TV showdown, the Labour leader was challenged on how he could be 'trusted' after having such close ties to Republican chiefs during the 1980s.

Mr Corbyn was visibly uncomfortable as he was called out as he tried to argue that he was 'contributing' to the Northern Ireland peace process.

He was also berated over his refusal to commit to the Trident nuclear deterrent, despite his party nominally being in favour of renewing it.

And in one particularly painful exchange with Paxman on the Sky News and Channel 4 election special he was unable to say whether his shadow chancellor John McDonnell still supported disbanding MI5.

The veteran left-winger and Theresa May are subjecting themselves to a televised grilling from a studio audience as well as arch-inquisitor Paxman.

Although the leaders will not go head-to-head, their performances will be scrutinised for signs of strength and weakness with just over a week to go until the country votes on June 8.

An audience member called Callum pressed Mr Corbyn on how he could be 'trusted' after his well-documented ties with IRA and Sinn Fein in the 1980s - including inviting Gerry Adams to tea at the House of Commons weeks after the Brighton bombing.

Mr Corbyn initially dodged the question, saying: 'I wanted dialogue in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s.'

But Callum pointed to a specific commemoration for Republican dead that had been attended by Mr Corbyn.

Jeremy Corbyn was grilled by an audience member over his close links to the Republican movement during the early stages of the programme tonight

Mr Corbyn was also asked how he would tackle ISIS if he would not deploy the military

Jeremy Paxman grilled Mr Corbyn on whether his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, still believed that MI5 should be disbanded but the Labour leader dodged answering

Mr Corbyn replied: 'The commemoration I think you are referring to was a period of silence for everyone who died in Northern Ireland.'

Audience member: 'It was actually to commemorate the people who were killed (an attack). The reason they were killed is there were on the way to kill British policemen.'

Mr Corbyn said: 'The contribution I made was to call for a peace and dialogue process. It is only by dialogue and process that we brought about the peace in Northern Ireland.

'I think that is a good thing. Going forward, in the Brexit negotiation we need to make sure we don't return to any kind of hard border in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.'

CORBYN SLAMMED OVER IRA SUPPORT Jeremy Corbyn was condemned by a live audience over his support for the IRA tonight in a live TV grilling. Audience member Callum questioned whether the Labour leader could be trusted to fight terrorism. Mr Corbyn said: 'The commemoration I think you are referring to was a period of silence for everyone who died in Northern Ireland.' The audience member said: 'It was actually to commemorate the people who were killed (an attack). The reason they were killed is there were on the way to kill British policemen.' Corbyn replied: 'The contribution I made was to call for a peace and dialogue process. It is only by dialogue and process that we brought about the peace in Northern Ireland. 'I think that is a good thing. Going forward, in the Brexit negotiation we need to make sure we don't return to any kind of hard border in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.' Advertisement

Mr Corbyn - who is still vice president of CND - flatly refused to say whether there were any circumstances under which he would deploy nuclear weapons, despite Labour technically being in favour of renewing the Trident deterrent.

Pressed on what he would write in his 'letters of last resort' to British nuclear submarine commanders, Mr Corbyn said merely: 'I will write the appropriate letters to the commanders.'

The Labour leader again refused to say that immigration needs to go down, saying that the Tories had set a number and failed to hit it.

'In the future there has to be managed migration and it has to be based on the needs of this country and economy,' he said.

'I'm not going to stand here and put a figure – our PM has done that now for the third election running and is nowhere near…

'We should also remember that if people hadn't migrated to this country, we would have a much worse health service, education system and transport system than we have.'

The show, jointly staged by Sky News and Channel 4, started on an awkward note for Mr Corbyn as he was asked whether he would 'look the other way' by failing to tackle ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

He insisted he would try to get peace talks going.

During his bruising encounter with Paxman, Mr Corbyn was asked how voters could trust his commitment to the security services when Mr McDonnell called for the 'abolition of MI5, the abolition of special branch and the disarming of the police?'.

Mr Corbyn replied: 'We have made it very clear we will provide more police, this Government has taken 20,000 police off our streets.'

Paxman interjected to point out that the Labour leader was not denying Mr McDonnell's views.

Mr Corbyn continued: 'We will put 10,000 more police officers on our streets.'

Theresa May arrives at the Sky News studios in Osterley, West London tonight

The Prime Minister will go second on the programme tonight, after Jeremy Corbyn faces the studio audience and is interviewed by Jeremy Paxman

Paxman again questioned: 'How can we believe that when the shadow chancellor believes in disbanding MI5 and the special branch?'

Mr Corbyn insisted: 'John McDonnell supports the need for more police officers.

'John McDonnell also accepts and supports the need for the accountability to Parliament of our security services, which is important, but he also accepts as I do the need to have security services that protect us.

CORBYN REFUSES TO BACK LOWER IMMIGRATION Jeremy Corbyn refused to commit to lower immigration in a live TV grilling tonight. The Labour leader said the number of new arrivals to Britain would 'probably' be lower if he was PM. But he rejected demands to set a figure. Mr Corbyn said: 'I am not going to stand here and put a figure. Our Prime Minister has done that now in the third election and got nowhere near meeting that figure. 'I would have thought that under a managed migration system it certainly would not go up any more. It would probably - I don't want to be held to this - probably come down. It is a probability.' In her own TV test, Theresa May was told by Jeremy Paxman it was 'her job' when home secretary to deal with immigration. She replied: 'It's a constant work to ensure you're dealing with immigration and ensuring there is no more abuse in the system. 'We will of course have another tool to do this when we leave the EU' Advertisement

'Manchester is a good example of that.'

Paxman said: 'So he signs letters and all the rest of it but when it comes to the manifesto he is perfectly happy to sign off on police officers and doubtless more money for MI5.'

Mr Corbyn replied: 'What you are going to see with John McDonnell is a shadow chancellor who looks at the needs of the country, looks at the needs of the people of this country and invests in our future – not hands money to big corporations and tax relief to the most well off in society.'

Mr Corbyn was confronted on his claim that Britons were being sent to die in the Falklands War 'in pursuit of a Tory plot'.

He insisted: 'What I wanted was a stopping of that war.

Asked whether he thinks the UK should not have protected the Falklands, the Labour leader said: 'I don't think they should have gone in there but I also think there should have been an opportunity to stop that war happening.'

Pressed again on whether it was a 'Tory plot', Mr Corbyn said: 'No. I think it was important that there should be a negotiated solution through the United Nations….

'Margaret Thatcher made a great deal of the whole issue… I felt she was exploiting the situation.'

Mr Corbyn was also pushed to explain why he had referred to Hamas as 'friends' during a meeting at parliament.

'It was inclusive language at a meeting where I was promoting the idea of a two-state solution, promoting the idea of a dialogue… to bring about a peace process, that is important,' he replied.

Boris Johnson and Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne set the tone for the programme earlier with a bruising clash before it started.

The two politicians jabbed their fingers at each other as the Foreign Secretary repeatedly challenged Mr Gwynne to explain Mr Corbyn's apparent support for the IRA during the 1980s.

CORBYN CLAIMED FALKLANDS WAS A TORY PLOT Jeremy Corbyn was tonight confronted over his claim that Britons were being sent to die in the Falklands War 'in pursuit of a Tory plot'. He insisted: 'What I wanted was a stopping of that war. Asked whether he thinks the UK should not have protected the Falklands, the Labour leader said: 'I don't think they should have gone in there but I also think there should have been an opportunity to stop that war happening.' Asked if it was a 'Tory plot', Mr Corbyn replied: 'No. I think it was important that there should be a negotiated solution through the United Nations…. 'Margaret Thatcher made a great deal of the whole issue… I felt she was exploiting the situation.' Advertisement

Without addressing his leader's track record, Mr Gwynne insisted: 'Things have moved on.'

Mr Johnson also demanded to know how Labour would fund its huge plans for renationalising energy, water, rail, and the Royal Mail.

Mr Gwynne shot back by asking what level the Tories' mooted cap on social care would be set at.

Earlier, the Prime Minister returned to the campaign trail earlier after the Manchester bombing earlier today with a stark message about the inability of the Labour leader to get a good Brexit deal.

She said the left-winger would have to be 'propped up' as PM by Nicola Sturgeon and the Lib Dems, who would 'extract compromises' including a second referendum on leaving the EU.

Mrs May also pointed out that the Labour leader had refused to say that immigration should come down - despite the level of inflows being one of the key factors in the historic vote last June.

A clutch of polls yesterday showed the Tory lead shrinking as June 8 approaches. An ORB poll for the Sunday Telegraph had them down two points in the past week on 44 per cent, just six ahead of Labour on 38 per cent (up four).

Boris Johnson and Andrew Gwynne set the tone before the Sky News and Channel 4 programme with brutal clashes

The Foreign Secretary and the Labour frontbencher argued about Jeremy Corbyn's support for the IRA

In the Sunday Times, a YouGov poll put the Tories seven points ahead on 43 per cent (unchanged since a similar poll on Friday), with Labour down two on 36 per cent.

An Opinium poll for The Observer found the Tory advantage had fallen from 13 points to ten over the past week, with Mrs May's party on 45 per cent (down one) and Labour 35 per cent (up two).

A ComRes survey for the Sunday Mirror and Independent showed the gap narrowing from 18 points to 12 over the past fortnight, with the Tories on 46 per cent (down two) and Labour 34 per cent (up four).

The PM warned that Jeremy Corbyn would be 'weak' over Brexit and questioned whether he would bring down immigration

Theresa May is attempted to relaunch the Tory election campaign today amid fears Labour could be about to take the lead in opinion polls

She was also accompanied by her husband Philip May on the campaign trail today

However, the PM's pitch fell on deaf ears with at least one local resident, who was seen throwing a leaflet straight in the bin (pictured right)