Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer spoke to police officers about tackling knife crime during a visit to Buckinghamshire this morning.

Sir Keir Starmer visited Milton Keynes Police Station today (January 25) alongside Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to meet the officers who are tackling knife crime across the Thames Valley.

During the visit, the Labour leader was shown the knives that had been handed in to the police, observed town centre patrols and met senior police chiefs and local officers.

Yvette Cooper told reporters this morning that the government's latest ban on zombie-style blades "goes nowhere near far enough and it is also too little, too late".

She added: "It doesn't include ninja swords, it doesn't include a whole series of dangerous weapons. We need much faster action, at a time when knife crime has gone up by a further 5 per cent this year, a 77 per cent increase since 2015.

"This is an epidemic, we need action."

It comes after the party leader said a Labour government would launch a £100 million youth programme to tackle knife crime, promising "real consequences" for offenders and an end to "empty warnings and apology letters".

Speaking to the press yesterday (January 24), Sir Keir said that 14 years of Tory government had left children feeling scared on the streets.

He said: “I am very worried about young people, and they ought to be able to walk the streets feeling safe. I know it sounds obvious. But it is basic, it’s really important.

“And after 14 years of this Government, we do not have that level of confidence in our young people feeling safe that we ought to have.”