Badenoch warns police are seen as a 'ghost service' after 'devastating failures' like the Henry Nowak case

Student Henry Nowak, 18, lay dying from stab wounds in Southampton while officers handcuffed him and one told him: "Don't think you have, mate." Kemi Badenoch, addressing the Police Federation conference, said she was "not scared to wade in" and back officers. She criticised Labour for skipping the event two years in a row. The Tories are promising 10,000 additional officers, though she ruled out a "massive pay rise" on day one.

She said Sgt Matthew Blake, cleared over Chris Kaba's death, lacked "the backing he deserved".

No 10 rejected her attack, insisting police have the government's "full backing".

Badenoch told officers they can trust the Tories again because the "bad players" have gone.