A BURNLEY MP has backed a national campaign calling on the Government not to pull out of European cross-border policing.

Gordon Birtwistle has signed a petition by the campaign group Justice Across Borders which believes the move would leave British citizens more vulnerable to crime.

The MP said: “These measures have been hugely successful in breaking up paedophile rings, preventing terrorism and bringing criminals who escape across borders to justice.

“If the government goes ahead with its plan to abandon some of them it will be a backward step.

“It will make it more difficult for British police to catch criminals who escape overseas or expel foreign law breakers from the UK.

“We have to accept that the criminals who break the law on our streets don’t always stay on our streets.

“If we have the chance to bring them to justice, we have to cooperate with forces across Europe.”