The conviction of Jeremy Forrest last week for abducting a schoolgirl provided a great example of cross-border crime fighting and the European arrest warrant.
Forrest was caught as a direct result of rapid and effective co-operation between UK and French police. As such, it is just one example among many of the value of close co-operation between police forces across the European Union.
While the Conservatives and Theresa May are trying to opt out of cross-border co-operation, and 130 other EU police crime fighting measures, the truth is that we benefit hugely from working with other European countries.
For example, the children’s charity EPCAT UK suggests that 500 children could be at serious risk of abuse and trafficking if the opt-out went ahead.
Abandoning co-operation with other EU countries on programmes such as Europol would hinder our ability to bring paedophiles, drug smugglers, human traffickers, murderers and other criminals to justice.
We need to be improving these links not severing them. The Conservative position is idiotic, and this particular case shows why.
Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York
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