The chair of the Police Federation has called on the Government to “learn the lessons” from recent terror attacks and properly resource the police.

Steve White, a police officer for 28 years, made the plea after Theresa May deployed soldiers to the streets in the wake of the Manchester bombing in order to free up police resources.

He said the decision “deeply worrying” when the announcement was made last night and added this morning that the Government should instead give the Police the resources to do their job.

Deeply worrying. Step change in policing again. https://t.co/gbS1i5HF3q — Steve White (@PFEW_Chair) May 23, 2017

Troops on the streets from tomorrow, not something we should be seeing. @PFEW_HQ members will be front and centre. Thank goodness. — Steve White (@PFEW_Chair) May 23, 2017

Will we learn the lessons of recent events and realise that policing is the job of the police, resources the job of government? — Steve White (@PFEW_Chair) May 24, 2017

His comments come after research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies this month revealed the police forces in England and Wales have lost 20,000 officers between 2009 and 2016 as a result of a 20% funding cut.

Tory Police Minister Brandon Lewis was booed at the Police Federation conference last week for suggestion the Government is making Britain safer while slashing the number of officers.

As Home Secretary, Theresa May accused the Police Federation of “crying wolf” and “scaremongering” over the impact of the Government’s cuts.

The Army has also been left short of troops and is facing “billions of pounds in so-called ‘efficiency savings’” according to the Defence Select Committee.

Update: The Police Federation have issued an official statement reiterating these points. It states: