Tackle poverty and inequality to reduce crime, says police chief

Retiring head of Merseyside force says if he had 5bn he would spend 20% on policing and 80% on cutting poverty

Cutting poverty and inequality is the best way to reduce crime, a police chief has said, calling for more money for deprived areas to thwart criminals' attempts to recruit those left desperate by deprivation.

In an unusually frank interview for a senior officer, given to mark his retirement as chief constable of Merseyside police, Andy Cooke said that if he was given 5bn to cut crime, he would put 1bn into law enforcement and 4bn into tackling poverty.