Heckled May faces calls to resign

The Home Secretary has faced calls to resign as she was told she had lost the trust of the police.

Theresa May was heckled and booed as she told officers from across England and Wales that they should stop pretending the police were being picked on.

Several officers called for her to resign, while others shouted that she was corrupt, after she told rank-and-file officers they should see through the changes to their pay and conditions for the good of the country.

Simon Payne, of Warwickshire Police Federation, told her: "Home Secretary, you may not like this, but we no longer trust you in the police service. Full stop. End of story."

The comments came after Mrs May spent almost two hours listening to officers' concerns and answering questions at the annual Police Federation conference in Bournemouth. But she left to a chorus of boos and shouts of "resign" when host John Stapleton asked Mrs May what she could do to win back that trust.

Mrs May said later: "I can only tell them as it is and not as they would like to hear it from me. I have to be honest with them about the financial situation, I have to be honest with them about the Government's desire for reform, and I have been. This is a deal. There will be more accountability through police and crime commissioners, but we will free you up to do your job. We're delivering on that."

The officers' concerns come after Mrs May asked former rail regulator Tom Winsor to carry out the most wide-ranging review of police pay and conditions in more than 30 years.

Earlier, the 1,200-strong crowd erupted when the federation's chairman Paul McKeever mocked Mrs May. When no-one moved after he asked anyone who thought Mr Winsor's review was independent to put their hand up, he addressed the Home Secretary, saying: "I notice not even you put your hand up."

Mrs May stared at Mr McKeever as the questions continued.

Another federation member, Dave Bennett, told Mrs May: "Home Secretary, I believe you are a disgrace." He challenged Mrs May over the proposal to reduce constables' starting salaries.

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