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Sadiq Khan has broken cover just days after the London attack to warn Tory police cuts would make it harder to stop future terror.

In his first major party political intervention since the atrocity, London's mayor said Conservative spending plans could mean the loss of thousands of officers.

It puts the Labour mayor on a similar footing to Jeremy Corbyn , who has vowed to recruit 20,000 police officers to reverse Tory cuts since 2010.

The statement is significant because Mr Khan, who won the biggest personal mandate of any politician in Britain last year, has tended to keep his work distinct from the Labour leader's.

It comes after he led a vigil for the seven dead and dozens injured with thousands of people near the scene of the attack last night.

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(Image: Rex Features)

Mr Khan said Scotland Yard stands to lose between 3,400 and 12,800 constables - a reduction in its strength of between 10% and 40%.

He added the Met - which had had to make savings of £600 million since 2010 - was facing new cuts of £400 million.

He also warned it could face the further loss of between £184million and £700million a year under Conservative plans to change the police funding formula.

"Our city has suffered two awful terrorist attacks since I was elected as mayor - and we must do everything possible to stop there being any more," he said.

"Police officers in our communities act as the eyes and ears of the security services, providing the intelligence and information that allows us to disrupt attempted terrorist attacks.

"Cuts on this scale would make it harder to foil future terrorist attacks on our city - and as the mayor of London I'm simply not willing to stand by and let that happen."

The intervention comes after Cressida Dick, the Commissioner of the Met Police, said "of course" resources should be looked at.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said after the London attack: "You cannot protect the public on the cheap the police and security services must get the resources they need not 20,000 police cuts.

"Theresa May was warned by the Police Federation but she accused them of “crying wolf.”

Tory Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed claims police cuts could contribute to the terror risk.

He told the BBC such talk "detracts from the responsibility of these scumbags" that carry out attacks in the first place.