Amber Rudd forced to deny cuts to police forces a factor in Manchester attack

Security Minister Ben Wallace also said terrorism prevention was not down to 'boots on the ground'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd (Getty)

The Home Secretary has been forced to deny that cuts to the police force contributed to Monday’s terror atrocity in Manchester.

Appearing on the BBC's Question Time programme, Ms Rudd was asked by a studio audience member about warnings given to Theresa May by the Police Federation that cuts in frontline officers would undermine their ability to gather low-level intelligence about possible threats.

Ms Rudd insisted said intelligence came, in the most part, from community leaders operating within the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, rather than from police officers on the street.

The audience member said: “We are 20,000 police officers down and we get atrocities like this. Does the government not expect this?” Rudd responded: “I don’t accept that. I have asked the head of counter-terrorism whether this is about resources. It is not.

“There may a conversation to have about policing, we may have that at some stage. But now is not that conversation. We must not imply that this terrorist activity may not have taken place if there had been more policing.”

On Thursday, Steve White the chair of the Police Federation said that were it not for cuts to the police numbers there would be no need for the current deployment of armed forces to the streets.

Mr White said: “As always, the response of emergency workers in the face of adversity has been second to none.

“The welcome support of the military to free up armed officers and offer public reassurance will no doubt be managed in the same professional, resolute way.

“But, as welcome as this is, we cannot avoid the reasons it is needed at all. There is no ignoring the fact that we, the police, simply do not have the resources to manage an event like this on our own.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Four's Today Programme this morning, Security Minister Ben Wallace dismissed claims the increased security threat was down to police cuts. Mr Wallace said "countering terrorism is not just about boots on the ground."