The new home secretary needs to tackle the crisis in policing, a union boss said.

James Cleverly, who was appointed to the role after Suella Braverman was sacked after her inflammatory letter to The Times, must also listen to police officers' concerns about morale and conditions, according to Ed Russell, chair of Cumbria Police Federation.

Ms Braverman's letter to the paper accused the police of 'playing favourites' by tolerating left-wing protests and cracking down on right-wing ones and was said to have played a part in inciting some of the violence seen on Remembrance Day this year in London.

Mr Russell said the new home secretary needed to 'understand the pressures' that cops were under and urged hum to listen to the ones on the front line.

“The new home secretary needs to urgently look at morale and conditions within policing, meet with and listen to officers on the front line, and face the stark reality that policing, nationally, is in crisis.

“There is an increase in the numbers of officers suffering from mental health crises, with close to one in five experiencing the effects of PTSD, which is nearly five times the national average," Mr Russell said.

He continued: "Officer suicide rates are also increasing, with over 17 officers a year taking their own lives.

“Officers are leaving the profession at an unprecedented rate – a recent report showed that 4,500 officers left in their probation period during the most recent recruitment drive, alongside record numbers of voluntary resignations from more experienced officers.

“These are not decisions taken likely.

"Cumbrian officers want to support their communities and do their jobs to the best of their ability, but are hamstrung by bureaucracy, underfunding and, as stated by the outgoing Home Secretary, an over-politicising of the profession.”