The spat between Michael Howard and the Guardian over his Brixton crime claims continues today with the paper digging up quotes from shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin praising policing in the area.

As shadow home secretary Letwin hailed the "Brixton miracle".

But the Tory leader maintains that the central claim made in his conference speech last week - that he encountered no beat officers in a two hour walk on a Saturday night - has not been deined.