A NORTH-East Police and Crime Commissioner has hit out over police funding following a TV appearance by the Home Secretary on Sunday.

Durham’s PCC Ron Hogg says reduced funding is making it difficult to provide high profile reassurance patrols by armed officers while cuts are undermining police efficacy and having fewer officers is leading to increasing stress, sickness and mental health problems in the force.

He wrote to Home Secretary Amber Rudd after her appearance on the Andrew Marr show, when she said she wanted to make sure the police had to resource they need to protect the public.

The appearance came as new funding was announced for counter-terrorism, including operations to protect people in public places.

Mr Hogg said that since 2010, Durham Police has lost 25 per cent of officers and recent figures had shown a 25 per cent increase in victim-based recorded crime.

He said: “Further to your comments on the Andrew Marr show, I was interested to hear you say that you want to make sure that the Police have the resource they need to protect the public.

“I look at the reductions to the funding of individual police forces in recent years and my position remains that cuts have been too deep and are undermining the efficacy of British policing.”

He added: “When we consider the present terrorist threat it is clear that the additional demands being placed on policing, both to investigate such crimes and to provide high profile reassurance patrols by armed police officers is not only difficult to deliver, but will become increasingly difficult to sustain.”