Writing exclusively for the Daily Express, the Home Secretary criticises the Police Federation and its claims that Britain's 153,000 officers are being taken for granted by the Government.

       In what will be seen as a firm response to stinging Federation comments, she says: "Police officers are not interested in politics - they want their Government to take practical action that helps them get on with their job."

       On Tuesday, Federation chairman John Apter delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street, which told Prime Minister Boris Johnson the pay freeze was the "final straw".

       Speaking of the brave frontline officers, some of whom she has met this week, the Home Secretary said: "They want to clamp down on violent crime, smash up county lines drug gangs and get knives off our streets.

       "I will always fight to give them what they need to do their job without fear or favour."

       She said when she became Home Secretary she gave a "clear message" that she was determined to cut crime and make Britain safer.

       The Home Secretary also told police officers: "I will give you the tools, powers, and backing to get out into our communities and keep us safe."

       She said: "That is what the British people expect.

       "Officers make extraordinary sacrifices day in and day out, but they have my unconditional support to cut crime and keep the public safe."

       But Mr Apter said: "Last week's confirmation of a pay freeze for police officers, while firefighters and local government workers get 1.5 percent and many in the NHS receive three percent, was a real kick in the teeth for my colleagues. It was the final straw."

       Several chief constables have also expressed disgust as ill-will intensifies after officers, some earning just ￡24,780 a year, lived in fear of catching the deadly virus while enforcing the Government's Covid rules.

       One of them who spoke out was Nick Adderley, the chief constable of the Northamptonshire force.

       He said: "Over the past 18 months I have seen officers punched, stabbed, shot, persecuted and ridiculed while attempting to implement confusing, rushed and ambiguous legislation in order to protect the public and rightly, the NHS, only to be ignored when it comes to a pay settlement.

       "The announcement of a nought percent pay increase is quite frankly an insult and wholly unacceptable.

       John Robins, the chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, said: "A punchbag gets hit from every side; it feels a little like that in policing at the moment.

       "They are punched, kicked, pushed and spat at every day. They are also racially and religiously abused or insulted because of their gender or sexual orientation, but that is another sad story.

       "Worst of all, last week we saw officers who have been working on the front line of the pandemic not deemed worthy of a pay rise, yet colleagues in local government and the fire service were. Now that is shocking."

       Miss Patel's flagship police recruitment programme aims to attract 20,000 new officers by 2023.

       So far 9,814 have signed up to 43 forces across England and wales.

       But between March 2010 and March 2019, forces lost 21,732 officers – a drop of 15 percent.