IT is a question that has been asked many times before, including by this newspaper, but it is difficult to see how the continued eroding of police numbers cannot be impacting on the level of service we get.

Freedom of Information figures exclusively obtained by the Telegraph & Argus today reveal the full extent of the number of bobbies on the beat who have been lost to West Yorkshire Police Force in the past five years. Force-wide, 1,000 police officers have gone, and in the Bradford district alone, 100 have been lost.

The Police Federation describes those numbers as concerning, and that is a term that many will agree with.

While it is true to say the number of special constables has increased in the same period, that rise certainly doesn’t match the overall fall, and regardless of the figures, no matter how committed specials are, they are not full-time officers.

Loss of 100 Bradford police officers in five years sparks public safety fears​

The issue of cuts is one that dominates all public services now, and austerity means some very difficult decisions have to be taken.

But how thin can the thin blue line be stretched?

We recently reported on disturbing increase in sex and violence offences in Bradford, and on the back of that, these latest figures are particularly disturbing.

It is important to stress that most of us won’t be unlucky enough to be the victim of a serious offence, but the perception is growing that continued erosion of policing numbers is leading to an increase in crime levels.

That cannot be allowed to continue, and this trend has to be reversed.