Chris Green thinks that his government’s cuts to policing have gone too far.

Speaking on Sunday Politics this morning, the Bolton MP said that he was “very concerned” about the extent of police cuts.

He said: “Residents are getting in touch with me raising concerns about the absence of police and the lack of a response from the police. I actually think we have gone too far.

“It’s a really serious problem and I think you have to nip crime and anti-social behaviour in the bud. You’ve got to have that deterrent so that means visible policing. And I do believe there should be more resources going into the police service.”

The Conservative MP was asked what impact Brexit would have on policing if more public funds become available, but he refused to draw a connection between Brexit and policing.

He said: “I’m very cautious of the idea of saying that there’s going to be a Brexit dividend because it’s going to be very easy for backbench MPs, for members of the cabinet to have spent this Brexit dividend many times over.”

He also raised concerns about resources being drawn to the centre of Greater Manchester in Salford and Manchester meaning that boroughs like Bolton do not get the resource they need.

Mr Green made the comments on BBC North West this morning where he appeared alongside Liz McInnes, Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton.

The MPs also discussed the impact that Universal Credit will have when it is fully rolled out.

The Bolton West MP defended the major welfare reform claiming that it has contributed to putting 1,000 more people into work every week.

He also claimed that both the job centres in his constituency are fully supportive of Universal Credit and its roll out.

He said: “I think there’s an immense amount of support for the welfare reforms that we have had, that we are seeing. But I don’t want that support for these reforms to disappear because the system no longer works and that’s why I want Esther McVey to look at the system, to look at the money and if necessary to demand from the Chancellor in the run up to the Budget to get that money back.”