Boris Johnson has denied huge Conservative funding cuts to probation services were “a mistake” and insisted they played no part in the London Bridge terror attack.

A former top prosecutor says he personally warned the prime minister about the risk posed by freeing terrorists who had not been deradicalised, but was told there was “no money” for a programme.

But, put under pressure on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, the prime minister claimed Labour early-release rules alone were responsible for Friday’s atrocity.

Asked if steep cuts to the criminal justice system had been “a mistake”, Mr Johnson replied: “No”, arguing Labour had left the public finances “in utter ruins”.

“It was nothing to do with parole, nothing to do with the probation service,” he insisted, referring to Usman Khan’s deadly attack.

During a bad-tempered interview, the prime minister also:

* Revealed there were about 74 other people convicted of terror offences who had been released early in similar circumstances to the London Bridge attacker.

* Insisted he bore no responsibility for past Conservative spending cuts, saying: “I’m a new prime minister – we take a different approach.”

* Shifted the blame for hundreds of library closures, after government cuts – arguing “some” local councils had been able to keep them open.

London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Show all 29 1 /29 London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Bystanders and police surrounding a person at the scene of an incident on London Bridge HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police and emergency services PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on London Bridge Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A bystander holding a knife after police surrounded a person at the scene HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People fleeing from Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police during the incident Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A white truck across part of London Bridge SophK05/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A British Transport Police officer runs after reports of an incident Getty London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Boats from the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit patrol near the scene Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A lorry on the bridge crosses over lanes Luke Poulton via Reuters London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the police and emergency services arriving at Monument tube station AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the public held behind a police cordon Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police evacuate people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police surrond a part of the bridge Timothy Johnson/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A person is assisted after falling when Police evacuated people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A Police Officer cordons off London Bridge Station Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of staff are ushered into a Fitness First gym Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Handout photo taken with permission from the twitter feed of @ShashD of police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in central London. PA Photo. Issue date: Friday November 29, 2019. See PA story POLICE LondonBridge. Photo credit should read: Shash/Twitter/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Shash/Twitter PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People head away from the vicinity of Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Office workers look out of a window at a scene EPA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in central London. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday November 29, 2019. See PA story POLICE LondonBridge. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Dominic Lipinski PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Men in forensics suits walk away from the site REUTERS London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People are evacuated from London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing ArrowontheHill ArrowontheHill/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on the scene Alexandra Carr /SWNS.COM London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Buses on London Bridge during the incident AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police on the scene @joebxggs /SWNS.COM

* Claimed he had “a record of campaigning against prejudice” – when reminded of his past writing that “fear of Islam” is “a natural reaction”.

* Claimed “we will fix the crisis in social care” – although the Conservative manifesto has been widely-criticised for having no plan.

* Wrongly claimed the election followed his Queen's Speech being “blocked by parliament” – when it was voted through.

* Failed to commit to being interviewed by Andrew Neil, after the BBC allowed him to appear on the Marr show instead.

On Saturday, Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor for North West England, revealing his private conversation with Mr Johnson about failing to intervene properly in prisons.

He had raised the problem of terrorists being released “whilst ostensibly rehabilitated but still radicalised” in many government meetings, before warning Mr Johnson in June 2016.

“Back then, he hadn't found the 'money tree' so he frustratingly said there was no money,” Mr Afzal said.

But, in the interview, the prime minister claimed that Khan had been on the streets, able to kill, because of a “leftie government”.

“His release was necessary under the law because of the automatic early release scheme under which he was sentenced, that was the reality, and that was brought in by Labour with the support of Jeremy Corbyn and the rest of the Labour Party.”