THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW

Cops ordered to arrive within 15 mins of 999 call in cities & towns or 20 in countryside

- BY LIZZY BUCHAN Political Editor

POLICE will be ordered to arrive to 999 calls within 15 minutes in cities and towns or 20 in the countryside to end lengthy waits for victims of crime.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will cut out unacceptable delays that can mean perpetrators and witnesses have disappeared by the time officers arrive.

Forces will also be ordered to answer 999 phone calls within 10 seconds under a radical blueprint for policing unveiled today.

Crack teams will be sent into failing forces to drive up standards when response times are not met.

Retail theft has soared 72% since 2010 and street theft is up by 58%, according to the Home Office.

CONSEQUENCES