DIANE ABBOTT warned her government counterpart yesterday  that “warm words” won’t stop the wave of youth violence on England’s streets.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday that the explosion in knife crime and violent assaults was comparable to “an outbreak of some virulent disease.”

Mr Javid promised that government departments will offer co-ordinated policies to eradicate knife crime and its causes, and said that the government will adopt a “public health approach” to solving the problem.

Knife crime in England and Wales has been rising since 2014, but last year showed a record number of offences involving knives.

Throughout the year, there were 39,818 offences involving a knife or a similar weapon, and there were 285 knife-related killings in 2017-18.

However, shadow home secretary Ms Abbott said: “The Tories have overseen nearly a decade of the most savage cuts to policing, education, mental health and youth services, and remain in denial about how their reckless austerity policies have led to this crisis.

“The Home Secretary can say ‘public health approach’ in as many speeches as he likes.

“But until his government actually implements a fully resourced, genuine, cross-departmental public health strategy, this is just hot air, and nothing will change.”