Mrs May, home secretary from 2010 to 2016, was lambasted as eight ex-chiefs said people had lost confidence in the service and resources had been “drained to dangerously low levels”. In a letter to The Times newspaper, they cited a 30,000 staff reduction, crippled stop-and-search powers, and “virtual destruction of neighbourhood policing”. They also asked whether police and crime commissioners had the skills or resources to address the “emasculation of British policing”.

Signatories to the letter included former Met Police leaders Lords Stevens, Condon, Blair and Hogan-Howe and Sir Paul Stephenson, plus Police Service of Northern Ireland chief Sir Hugh Orde.

Lord Stevens told LBC radio host Nick Ferrari he hoped Mrs May’s exit from No 10 would end “the dark period of policing where, quite frankly, the relationship between the Government and politicians are at an all-time low”.

When asked if she had been “the most disastrous home secretary and prime minister for policing you’ve ever seen”, Lord Stevens replied: “I’m afraid I have to say that. I don’t like to say things when people are down, but I really do believe that and it’s just not me saying it, a lot of us are saying that.”

Lord Stevens said he and the Police Federation warned Mrs May about cuts and stop-and-search powers but their words fell on deaf ears.

COMMENT BY JOHN APTER

Every day, my members experience the reality of what almost a decade of austerity has done to policing – rising crime rates, increased demand, rocketing stress and anxiety levels, all with reducing resources.

This week Boris Johnson pledged to recruit 20,000 more officers if he wins the leadership election. If that happens, and he delivers on his promise, it would certainly help ease the pressure. But his plans would take time to take effect and would certainly not be a quick fix or panacea for the problems here and now. The police service today faces complex challenges. In order for us to tackle these, and to protect the public, we need a national debate about what society expects from its police service and how this will be achieved.

A Royal Commission is the ideal way to do this. So, I urge all senior officers to speak out now about the reality of the challenges they are facing so we can really grasp the scale of the problem and find a way to rectify it.

John Apter is Police Federation chairman

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