Leicestershire's police and crime commissioner says Britain leaving the European Union would make the fight against crime '˜much more difficult'

Lord Bach aired his views ahead of today’s (Thursday) EU referendum.

He said: “In my position as police and crime commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland I believe strongly that we should remain in the EU.

“In my view, the fight against crime would become much more difficult if we were to leave.

“It is collaboration with our European partners through the European arrest warrant that means foreign criminals are returned to their own country to face trial. Over 5,000 have been extradited in this way over the last five years.

“Just as important is the fact that police in the UK have received 650 Britons from Europe who might otherwise have escaped justice. That number includes 51 alleged killers and 62 wanted for alleged offences against children.

“The fight to keep us secure and free from crime is never easy. In my opinion BREXIT would make this vital task much harder.”

However Vote Leave campaigners claim that if Britain leaves the EU, the UK ‘will continue to co-operate with its European partners to fight terrorism and organised crime’ and that the UK ‘would also be able to keep convicted criminals from other EU countries out which it cannot now do.’