WARWICK and Leamington MP Matt Western has hit out at the prime minister in parliament for not seriously tackling crime following two high profile deaths in his own constituency.
It follows the death of 17-year-old Nasir Patrice after a stabbing on Tachbrook Road in Leamington last month. Police believe it was linked to so-called county lines drug dealing – in which big city drug gangs target smaller towns where gang members are not known to police.
And a second man died after being suspected of taking an MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, having attended a dance music event at Leamington Assembly.
Both deaths made national headlines.
The Labour MP hit out at government for not doing enough, and for hikes to the police bill being funded by taxpayers.
Speaking in Parliament Mr Western said: “In the past ten years violent crime has risen 152 per cent in Warwickshire.
“In the last two weeks people have been killed in two separate incidents and others remain ill.
“It is now our residents, through hikes in council tax of 12 per cent last year and six per cent this year, that are picking up the whole bill, the old bill, and the Conservative Party is now no longer the party of law and order, but the party of ‘fear and disorder’.
But the prime minister said extra police would be provided.
He responded: “This is an important point and I share his anger and that’s why we are putting 20000 police on the streets.
“We are tackling county lines drug gangs which are behind so much of the rise in violent crime. We will get this crime down.”
Mr Western says he will continue to lobby government to invest in policing.
