Conservative leader Michael Howard has met victims of crime in a bid to expose Labour's failures on law and order.

He toured the East Midlands, meeting the widow of a police officer killed on duty and the husband of a jeweller shot dead in her family shop.

Tracy Walker's husband, PC Ged Walker, was dragged to his death by a drug addict in Nottingham as he attempted to arrest him.

Victor Bates, whose wife Marian was killed protecting her daughter from armed robbers, has been campaigning for more police officers on the streets since his wife's tragic death last year.

The Conservatives said the main purpose of the visit was "to address the concerns of local residents".

"Today I will be meeting with the victims of crime, and with police officers who have to deal with the effects of crime every day. And I will be looking at ways in which the police, together with local councils, are trying to tackle crime," said the Tory leader.

"But none of this work will have a real impact unless the government acts too. Labour promised to be tough on crime and its causes. But Labour have let people down on crime.

"Recorded crime was falling before Tony Blair came to office. It has risen while he has been in charge. Today, violent crime is at its highest level ever, with almost a million violent crimes committed last year. Gun crime has doubled."

Bobbies on the beat

Michael Howard pledged that a future Conservative government would "get a grip on crime".

Policies would include increasing police numbers by 40,000, freeing police officers from unnecessary paperwork, and tackling the problem of persistent young offenders through longer sentences with a "proper emphasis on rehabilitation".

"Only by taking such measures will we tackle the crime epidemic which is destroying lives and whole communities," said Howard.

Making a difference

However, the government maintains its policing policies are making a real difference in the fight against crime.

It says that there were 429 more police officers in the East Midlands in March 2003 compared to September 2001.

It also says that Nottingham Constabulary oversaw a 14 per cent cut in street crime under a new government initiative, and that nearly £6.1 million has been allocated towards new CCTV equipment in the region.

The Northampton town centre CCTV system coupled with an automatic number plate recognition system is reported to have resulted in vehicle crime dropping by 30 per cent across the borough.