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The Police Federation have released a hard-hitting video highlighting cuts to the police force.

It comes after Home Secretary Theresa May accused the Police Federation of "crying wolf" over the impact of staffing reductions.

The video shows a series of situations the police deal with every day - such as domestic disturbances, lost children and anti-social behaviour.

In each case, police resolve the situation effectively - until in the final scene, a suicide attempt, the officer disappears at a crucial moment.

It says the things police officers do on a daily basis don't make headlines - until they're not there to do them, ending with the phrase "You don't know what you've got til it's gone."

The Federation, which represents lower ranking officers, say 17,000 officers have been lost nationally over the past 5 years and the public cannot afford for any more to dissapear.

Theresa May disagrees and points to official crime figures which have fallen through each of the last 5 years of cuts.

It's no secret that the Conservative government will have more cuts planned and the video seeks to highlight the importance of having a present police force.

It comes after an award-winning policeman blasted the Home Secretary after he revealed Tory cuts forced him to leave his job.

Insp Damian O'Reilly was named Britain's community policeman of the year - but says he quit his dream role pounding Manchester's streets after he could no longer stomach the government's changes.

He told the Home Secretary: "We run the risk here of letting communities down, putting officers at risk and ultimately risking national security.

"I'd ask you to seriously reconsider the budget and the level of cuts over the next 5 years."

The Home Secretary hit back at his claims, saying there are now more community officers nationally than there were in 2010 - even if there aren't in some individual forces.

And she accused the Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, of 'scaremongering' and declared: "This crying wolf has to stop".

Mrs May said: "Yes there are fewer officers overall. But despite the predictions of the Federation, crime is down by more than a quarter since 2010.

"This weekend the Federation warned that spending reductions mean we'll be forced to adopt a paramilitary style of policing.

"This kind of scaremongering does nobody any good. It doesn't serve you, it doesn't serve the officers you represent and it doesn't serve the public."