Priti Patel demanded police chiefs slash crime and deliver safer streets in exchange for more officers today as she said neither she nor the public would accept any 'excuses'.

The Home Secretary used a speech in London to say cutting crime is 'non-negotiable' and there must be 'no weak spots' in efforts to do so.

Addressing the National Police Chiefs' Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners joint summit she warned that she expected results from the Tories' pledge to fund 20,000 more officers on the beat in the next three years.

She demanded there must be 'less crime, safer streets, no excuses', adding: 'The public won't accept them and neither should we.'

She told the audience that they were being set 'quite a challenge to reduce murder, serious violence and neighbourhood crime', saying: 'That is an ambitious list, but it is no more than the public expects.'

She added: 'We need to pull out all the stops to deliver the decline in crime that people want to see. There must be no weak spots.

In her speech today (pictured) she demanded there was 'less crime, safer streets, no excuses', adding: 'The public won't accept them and neither should we'

The Home Secretary (pictured today, left) used a speech in London (right) to unveil an extra £41.5million in 'surge' funding for forces across England and Wales

'These outcomes will be non-negotiable and I will be unapologetic about holding you to account.

'Together we can lengthen the long arm of the law to ensure no criminals can escape - and, importantly, the public can have the trust in policing that you all deserve.'

The Home Secretary, who is at the centre of a bullying row involving civil servants in her department, left the event after her speech without taking any questions from police officers or the media, a further sign of her preparedness to upset people to implement change.

Ms Patel announced an additional £41.5 million of funding for forces in 18 areas of the country worst affected by serious violence.

She also launched an eight-week consultation on plans to enshrine a Police Covenant in law.

The plan, first mooted in the Conservative Party's general election manifesto, pledges to back the rights of serving or ex-police officers, staff and their families, recognise the responsibility and risks officers take, and introduce a code of ethics.

Ms Patel told the audience 'crime will not go away overnight' and the police deserve 'full respect' for the 'incredible job' they do, describing the covenant as a 'commitment' to put officers first.

But she said: 'I will also be unafraid to challenge you to do more.'

The public 'deserve the freedom to live their lives without fear of violent criminals, terrorists and drug dealers', she added.

'That's why I've made it my priority to restore public confidence in our criminal justice system.'

The news follows calls from campaigners to make punishments for assaults on emergency workers even tougher.

From the middle of November 2018, the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act doubled the previous maximum sentence to 12 months in jail for such offences.

She told the audience that forces were being set 'quite a challenge to reduce murder, serious violence and neighbourhood crime', saying: 'That is an ambitious list, but it is no more than the public expects'

But official figures released last week showed just 13% of criminals who attack police and emergency workers are being sent straight to jail, with more being let off with a fine, and suggested the average time behind bars was three months or less.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has long campaigned for tougher punishments for those who attack officers.

National chairman John Apter welcomed the plans for the covenant and said: 'Policing is a dangerous and unpredictable job and it's essential that there is something in place that ensures that police officers, staff, retired colleagues and their families receive the support they deserve.

'This consultation is an opportunity to help shape what a Police Covenant will look like. This is something I feel extremely passionate about and it's great to see this taking a step closer to becoming a reality.'