Taxpayers’ cash is being wasted on lawyers while police numbers are slashed, says Labour.

Latest figures have revealed that Home Office legal costs have soared from £39million in 2010 to £80million last year

Home Office legal costs have soared from £39million in 2010 to £80million last year, new figures reveal.

The extra spending emerged as Tory Home Secretary Theresa May cuts police by 20%.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Diana Johnson said: “While Theresa May has been cutting more than 8,000 police officers from the front line, she’s allowed legal costs to double. The extra £40million could be putting officers back on the beat.”

Mrs May should explain whether legal costs had leapt because of a reorganisation or because she had lost so many judicial reviews, added Ms Johnson.

Minister Karen Bradley said the Government was trying to keep costs down.