Prime Minister Tony Blair has praised the Birmingham Evening Mail for its backing of Operation Safer Streets, a West Midlands police crackdown on mugging and robbery.

He spoke exclusively to the Mail’s political editor, Shaun Connolly, before an emergency summit of police chiefs called to thrash out a tough new approach to violent offenders.

Mr Blair told Mr Connolly: “I want to see a summer offensive in the top crime hot spots – exactly the sort of initiative the West Midlands police have launched in Birmingham city centre and immediate surrounding area.

He added: “I am pleased to see the Evening Mail is giving such strong backing to Operation Safer Streets. It’s an important initiative which deserves the support of the paper and its readers.”

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