The deployment of thousands of soldiers onto Britain’s streets is only needed because police now lack the resources to defend against a terrorist attack themselves, the chair of the Police Federation has warned.

Steve White, who leads the statutory staff association, said police “simply do not have the resources” to manage a heightened national level of alertness by themselves.

Around 20,000 police officers have been cut since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, with budgets being reduced by 4 per cent every year while Theresa May served as Home Secretary.

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In a statement issued on Thursday, the Federation’s Mr White said: “As always, the response of emergency workers in the face of adversity has been second to none.

“The welcome support of the military to free up armed officers and offer public reassurance will no doubt be managed in the same professional, resolute way.

“But, as welcome as this is, we cannot avoid the reasons it is needed at all. There is no ignoring the fact that we, the police, simply do not have the resources to manage an event like this on our own.”

Addressing the Home Secretary Amber Rudd at the Police Federation’s annual conference last week, Mr White had said an attack was a case of "not if, but when" following sharp cuts.

The Government says that crime figures have continued to fall despite the budget cuts. However, police groups have issued repeated warnings that reduce manpower was making it difficult to do jobs.

After the Spring Budget 2016-17 Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd warned that central government cuts were having a serious impact on Manchester’s police service.

“As my report makes clear, this is still very much a ‘cuts budget’. The Chancellor’s plan to protect policing budgets is full of holes, has not been borne out in real terms, and offers no foresight beyond this financial year,” he said at the time.

“To make his sums add up, I have had to increase the amount people pay through their council tax, but even this can’t assuage the impact that cuts have had and continue to have on Greater Manchester’s police service.”

Around 4,000 troops are on standby across the UK to help the policing effort during ‘Operation Temperer’, which is reinforcing police after the terror alert level was raised to critical.

Speaking earlier in the general election campaign Conservative Home Secretary Amber Rudd refused to rule out further police cuts.

“I think the important statistic is that crime has fallen by 2010 by a third. We believe that we can control the Budget and reduce crime,” she told BBC Radio 4 at the time.

Shape Created with Sketch. Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Manchester explosion in pictures 1/37 People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS 2/37 Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire 3/37 Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 4/37 Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters 5/37 Getty Images 6/37 Getty Images 7/37 Getty Images 8/37 AFP/Getty Images 9/37 Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images 10/37 There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images 11/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images 12/37 Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 13/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images 14/37 Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images 15/37 An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 16/37 Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images 17/37 A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 18/37 Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 19/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA 20/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA 21/37 Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images 22/37 Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire 23/37 Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 24/37 An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 25/37 A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 26/37 Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images 27/37 Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP 28/37 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images 29/37 Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images 30/37 A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images 31/37 A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty 32/37 EPA 33/37 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire 34/37 The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images 35/37 Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire 36/37 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty 37/37 Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images 1/37 People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS 2/37 Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire 3/37 Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 4/37 Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters 5/37 Getty Images 6/37 Getty Images 7/37 Getty Images 8/37 AFP/Getty Images 9/37 Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images 10/37 There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images 11/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images 12/37 Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images 13/37 Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images 14/37 Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images 15/37 An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 16/37 Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images 17/37 A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA 18/37 Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters 19/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA 20/37 A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA 21/37 Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images 22/37 Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire 23/37 Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 24/37 An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images 25/37 A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images 26/37 Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images 27/37 Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP 28/37 Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images 29/37 Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images 30/37 A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images 31/37 A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty 32/37 EPA 33/37 Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire 34/37 The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images 35/37 Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire 36/37 Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty 37/37 Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

After the attack, Ms Rudd said: “We have now gone to a critical level in terms of the threat. Operation Temperer has now been invoked and that means there will be additional military personnel coming to backfill the armed police officers so that they can support other areas.

“Today we have 984 members of military coming forward as requested by the police. They will be initially deployed in London but also elsewhere in the country as requested and they will form an important part of the defence going forward.”

Labour has pledged to put 10,000 more police officers on the beat and said the police force is “crying out for more manpower”.

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