An MP is calling on the Mayor of London to invest more in the police instead of “bolstering” his PR campaign.

The Government yesterday announced it would be giving police forces in England Wales £970 million each, which means up to an extra £172 million for local police forces in 2019.

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East said: “This is terrific news, this government is on the side of law and order and can produce costed measures to ensure our police have the resources needed to fight crime.

“I thank, as ever, the force and for their efforts in protecting citizens not just in Harrow East but across the nation.”

But he added: “The Mayor of London is sitting on reserves of £200 million which could be used for the police – why is he not funding the Met instead of bolstering his PR campaign and team inside City Hall?”

The Government contributes to around 75 per cent of Metropolitan Police funding – the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan is responsible for the rest.

But Mr Khan criticised the funding from the Government for the Metropolitan Police in 2019.

He said: “Londoners will be furious at the Government’s announcement today.

“We’ve had months of warm words from the Home Secretary about the desperate need for more government funding in order to tackle violent crime, but the Government have fundamentally failed to back that up with real money.

“The harsh reality is that the Government is shunting the cost of policing onto London council taxpayers, which will not fill the massive financial black hole and will hit London’s poorest hardest.”

Police funding in the capital has been cut by more than £850 million since 2010 with figures form City Hall earlier this year revealing the number of police officers in London had dropped below 30,000 for the first time in a decade.

London-wide Assembly Member Unmesh Desai also hit out at the police settlement from the Government.

Mr Desai said: “Following today’s announcement, Londoners could be forgiven for thinking the Government are indifferent to the safety of people in our city.

“Without adequate Government support, there is only so much that can be done, and today’s settlement falls far short of that.”