Rishi Sunak vows to recruit 8,000 more police officers - one for every ward in England and Wales - paid for by foreign visa hikes

The Conservatives last night pledged to recruit 8,000 extra police officers by increasing visa fees for foreign visitors and workers.

As both main parties go toe-to-toe on law and order, Rishi Sunak vowed to bring back neighbourhood policing while Labour said they would speed up prison building and tackle the court backlog in rape cases.

Under the plan, the Tories pledged to introduce an additional police officer for every ward in England and Wales. They will be given new tools to catch criminals, including greater use of facial recognition technology and tougher powers to seize knives.

The party said the plan would be paid for in part by removing the student discount to the immigration health surcharge and increasing all visa fees by 25 per cent.

It means the 'Standard Visitor' visa will rise from £115 to more than £143, while a skilled work visa could increase by £400 to £2,000.

The Tories have simultaneously pledged to slash migration and introduce an annual cap on visas.

But the party last night insisted that as visa numbers go down, the funding for the new police officers would increasingly come from a crackdown on tax avoidance.

Some 20,000 extra police officers have been recruited since 2019, but it follows a fall in numbers over previous years.

Labour has pledged to boost police numbers by 13,000, including 3,000 additional officers, 4,000 additional PCSOs and 3,000 additional specials. The figure also includes 3,000 officers ringfenced from the Government uplift.

Over the weekend, Sir Keir Starmer's party pledged to relieve pressure on prisons by unblocking the planning process and boosting the building programme. Labour said the prison estate is 'bursting at the seams' due to inaction and mismanagement by the Tories.

Chief constables were urged earlier this year to take fewer suspects into custody amid overcrowding.

Labour also wants to set up 80 new specialist rape courts across England and Wales to fast-track cases as part of plans to tackle violence against women and girls that will be included in its manifesto.

It will also comprise a pledge to introduce specialist rape units in every police force, where staff trained to deal with domestic abuse will work with victims.

Mr Sunak said last night: 'Our 20,000 new police officers since 2019 have made a huge difference, with neighbourhood crime down 48 per cent as a result. We will now go further by hiring 8,000 more police officers, each one dedicated to their local community.

'People deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood. More bobbies on the beat and increased powers will give police forces the tools they need to drive down neighbourhood crime even further.'

The Prime Minister said Labour 'has no idea how to fund more police officers', adding: 'Without a plan crime will only go up, as we've seen in areas with a Labour Police and Crime Commissioner.'

Home Secretary James Cleverly said the Tories will 'always back our brave police and security services', adding: 'The Conservatives will take bold action with a clear plan to build a more secure future for people up and down the country.

'Unlike Keir Starmer's Labour Party who have no plan to keep the country safe. You only have to look to London where crime has risen under Labour rule to see the real damage the Labour Party can do to your community.'