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The Tory government has unveiled a £100million emergency fund for police across the country to tackle knife crime.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said the funding will be made available immediately and ring-fenced for overtime and schemes such as violent crime reduction units.

He caved in after weeks of calls for the Tories to plunge more cash into fighting the surge in knife crime.

Previously Mr Hammond said it was up to police to manage their budgets better - and Theresa May refused to acknowledge a link between cuts to 21,000 officers and rising crime.

But today Mr Hammond acknowledged the calls in his Spring Statement.

Some £80 million of the figure is new money, from the Treasury.

The remaining £20 million will be found by the Home Office and be taken from existing budgets.

Mr Hammond said the "surge" in knife crime was a "personal tragedy for the scores of families of victims".

"We must and we will stamp out this menace," he added.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said he had shown a "toxic mix of callous complacency over austerity and grotesque incompetence over the handling of Brexit ."

Labour's shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said: "Extra money is welcome to bear down on knife crime but the Tories have created this crisis in policing.

"Our overstretched officers are already at breaking point, owed thousands of rest days and leave. It won't paper over the deep cracks in the system."

(Image: Getty Images)

Home Secretary Sajid Javid, said: “I am deeply concerned by the rising levels of knife crime that is devastating communities and robbing young people of their lives and futures.

“I’ve been doing everything in my power to ensure we have the strongest possible response in place, but tackling this requires action on many fronts.

“Law enforcement plays a key role - and it is clear from speaking to police leaders in recent weeks that they need an immediate increase in resources.

“I’ve listened to their concerns and this £100m – including £80m new funding from the Treasury - will allow them to swiftly crack-down on knife crime on the areas of the country where it is most rife.

“This is on top of the £970m of additional money that policing is already due to receive from April from the Government and Council Tax.”

Lib Dem Ed Davey tweeted: "The Tories have cut £1 billion from police budgets since 2015 and now they offer just £80m back.

"They've cut 5,000 officers & now they offer to fund some extra overtime.

"It's an insult to hard-working police & knife crime victims & their families."

And Labour MP Neil Coyle said: "Chancellor has announced £100 million for police across the whole of England to tackle knife crime.

"For context, this is 10% of what Cameron, Clegg & May have taken from the Met in London alone where £1 billion has been brutally removed from our police since 2010."