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Police numbers will fall to levels last seen in the 1970s as more than 15,000 officers face the chop.

Forces must make £800million real terms cuts in their budgets by 2022 after Chancellor Philip Hammond failed to give them a penny more in Wednesday’s Budget.

And Labour analysis shows that’s the equivalent of shedding 15,750 officers over the next five years.

That would take numbers in the nation’s 43 forces down from 123,000 now to 107,400 - a level last seen in 1978.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Shadow Police minister Louise Haigh said: “Under the Tories, policing has been pushed to breaking point and they need to realise you cannot protect people on the cheap.

“Forces are already struggling and the Budget offered nothing but more of the same – further cuts to funding and the frontline.”

The Tories cut police funding by a quarter as they clawed back £2.3billion after coming to power in 2010.

That resulted in the loss of 20,000 officers across England and Wales - 87 per cent of those from frontline duties.

Meanwhile chief constables across the country are now reporting increases in traditional crime such as burglaries, robberies, and thefts from cars after a ten year fall.

In London gun crime went up 42 per cent this year and the use of knives increased by 24 per cent.

This was mirrored across the country as recorded crime went up 13 per cent on last year to 5.2 million offences with a 19 per cent increase in violence.