Matthew has welcomed news that crime is falling. The latest figures from the independent Crime Survey of England and Wales show that crime recorded by the police in London has fallen by 14 per cent since 2010.

Matthew said: "Tackling crime is one of my main priorites. Residents in the Hendon constituency are entitled to feel safe in their homes and on our streets. I am pleased that the Government has freed the police to fight crime by cutting red tape and has brought in tougher sentences for criminals so communities are protected and victims get justice.

"I am not, however, complacent. We must ensure that the police have the powers, tools and modern techniques to tackle and prevent crime so that people can know that they, their family and their possessions are safe."

Under the Conservative-led Government:

Crime is down by more than a fifth.  The Independent Crime Survey of England and Wales showed that in the year to June 2014 there were more than 2.3 million fewer crimes than in the year to June 2010 (ONS, Crime Statistics, Year Ending June 2014, 16 October 2014, link).

Red tape has been cut and unnecessary targets scrapped so the police can focus on what matters. The changes have saved an estimated 4.5 million hours of police time, equivalent to 2,100 police officer posts (Home Office, Police pay: Winsor review, 26 March 2013, link).

The proportion of police officer in front line roles has increased from 89 per cent in March 2010. This is expected to be at 92 per cent in March 2015 (Home Secretary, Police Federation 2014 speech, 21 May 2014, link; HMIC, Policing in Austerity Meeting the Challenge, July 2014, link).