Hexham's Labour candidate Joe Morris has promised to crackdown on antisocial behaviour and bring back neighbourhood policing should he win next month's election.

New analysis from Labour reveals there are 329 fewer PCSOs across the Northumbria Police area since 2010 as Labour sets out a plan for neighbourhood police in every community after a “decade of dereliction on law and order” under the Tories.

The number of PCSOs has fallen 75% since the Conservatives took power. Labour is promising to put 13,000 neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat in communities across the country, visible and present in local areas, deterring crime and catching criminals, with guaranteed neighbourhood patrols. 

Restoring safety on Britain’s streets will be a top priority for a new Labour Home Secretary. Yvette Cooper will commit to running a “hands-on Home Office”, rigorously and regularly assessing progress against Labour’s missions.

Labour says the damage done to policing and the criminal justice system over the last 14 years means that policing has been unable to respond to the new surge in street crime driven by serious and organised criminals. The decimation of neighbourhood policing, the collapse in charges, and the lack of focus on local community crime have all had devastating consequences for communities, the Party says.

Labour is promising to rebuild neighbourhood policing as the cornerstone of its plans to tackle crime and keep communities safe. 

The Conservatives’ decision to slash 10,000 neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs from Britain’s streets since 2015 has “left community confidence in tatters”, Labour says.

Hexham's Labour candidate Joe Morris said: "People across the Hexham constituency have the right to feel safe. Labour has a plan to take back our streets across our communities. 

Conservative candidate MP, Guy Opperman, Dr Nick Cott from the Liberal Democrats and Social Democratic Party candidate William Clouston.