Police funding pledge 'excludes transport, defence and nuclear forces'

Labour has raised fears of cuts to policing at potential terror targets after it emerged a Government pledge to protect funding excludes transport, defence and nuclear police.

Chancellor George Osborne promised not to cut the Home Office police budget "at all" in last month's spending review, but British Transport Police (BTP), Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary are funded through other departments so are not covered by the protection.

Shadow treasury minister Rebecca Long-Bailey said it meant the forces, which have a total of 6,000 officers, were at risk of cuts.

BTP were among the first on the scene at the Leytonstone Tube station stabbing, while the Ministry of Defence Police force are involved in guarding military facilities and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary protects nuclear power stations and convoys transporting nuclear material.

Ms Long-Bailey said: "It's fundamentally dishonest for George Osborne to claim he's protecting police spending when his pledge does not include policing our public transport system, guarding our military or protecting nuclear installations and materials.

"This is deeply alarming given that the last two terrorist attacks in Britain were in a Tube station and outside a military base, and nuclear facilities are an obvious target. He said he was protecting the police but he was really just trying to protect himself."