ON Sunday, the Chancellor and Home Secretary announced they would be spending an extra £50m on national counter terrorism policing, and this was reported in the press over the weekend.

While this is welcome, it must not come at the expense of funding for local forces.

Neighbourhood policing is where stopping terrorism begins. The job of neighbourhood police officers is to know their community, understand what is going on and who presents a risk, and then to solve problems before they escalate.

Durham Constabulary has seen its roster of police officers reduce by 350 since 2010.

I am committed to maintaining neighbourhood policing across County Durham and Darlington, and it is vital that I have the resources to do so. It is essential that this week’s expected announcement about police funding provides the extra resources we need.

Ron Hogg, Durham Police and Crime Commissioner, Durham