Some police officers are now “embarrassed” at the levels of service being given to the public following years of cuts, Jeremy Corbyn said on a visit to Huddersfield .

The Labour leader said an officer in a force outside Yorkshire had told him about problems responding to 999 calls due to depleted resources.

He said the officer had been both apologetic and embarrassed by what was taking place.

Jeremy Corbyn Labour Leader and Leader of the Opposition, visits Victim Support Hub at Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield. Jeremy with Mark Burns-Williamson - West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Lesley McLean of Victim Support.

Mr Corbyn, who spoke to victims of crime during a visit to the town on Saturday, said that Labour’s plans were to “immediately fund” an extra 10,000 police officers nationally.

He said more effort was needed to prevent prisoners re-offending.

“We have re-offending rates of over 60% in this country and that is far too high and is actually very expensive, never mind wrong.”

West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson , who accompanied Mr Corbyn on his visit to a Victim Support hub at Brian Jackson House on New North Road, said he was working on a strategy for West Yorkshire to reduce re-offending rates.

“I have got somebody from the Prisons Service on secondment to my office to help do that.”

Mr Burns-Williamson said police numbers had been cut by around 2,000 in West Yorkshire since 2010.

But Mr Corbyn said police numbers weren’t the only issue: “A safe society isn’t just about police and police numbers.

“It’s about youth services, prisons, probation, community centres and a sense of community around people. That’s why we want to fund the police properly, to put those 10,000 extra officers there.

“We are also in favour of a statutory youth service and that is in our national education service plan.”

Mr Corbyn also spoke to the media about the air strikes carried out by Britain, the US and France and suspected chemical weapons facilities in Syria.

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The Labour leader said: “I had a late night conversation with the Prime Minister and my whole point is that Parliament should be consulted, Parliament should be allowed to take a view on this but, instead, the strikes were launched.

“Parliament is in session on Monday. She could have come to Parliament on Monday to discuss the whole situation. Instead, they’ve launched these strikes.

“She claims there’s a legal basis for it.

“I’ve asked her in a letter I’ve just sent her this morning to publish in full the legal basis and justification for it.”

Jeremy Corbyn Labour Leader and Leader of the Opposition, visits Victim Support Hub at Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield.

Mr Corbyn also paid tribute to BBC Look North’s political editor Len Tingle who died last week.

After finishing in Huddersfield, Mr Corbyn left to join Labour activists on the local election campaign trail in the Calder Valley.