Jeremy Corbyn has said police must be able use "whatever force is necessary" to halt terrorists on British streets and has vowed to increase the numbers of armed officers if he becomes prime minister after next week's election.

The two main parties suspended their campaigns after Saturday night's attack on London Bridge, which left seven dead, but Corbyn restarted his campaign on Sunday night with a speech that represented a significant hardening of his stance on how British police should deal with terrorists.

Shortly after he became leader in 2015, Corbyn caused widespead controversy by saying that he was "not happy" with police being ordered to "shoot-to-kill" suspected terrorists on British streets – describing the policy as "quite dangerous" and "counterproductive".



However, in his speech on Sunday night in Carlisle in the north of England, the Labour leader vowed to "take whatever action is necessary" as prime minister to tackle terrorism, less than a day after three suspected terrorists were shot dead by police in London.

Corbyn also strongly condemned prime minister Theresa May, saying she was warned by police chiefs about the effect that cuts on police forces could have on the security of British streets but she accused them of "crying wolf".