text: Crime victims seeking emergency help are waiting up to 50 per cent longer for assistance compared with three years ago with response times increasing by an extra couple of minutes. Analysis of Home Office figures show that in areas such as Bedfordshire as well as Devon and Cornwall, response times are now at least 50 per cent longer than they were three years ago. In Essex and Kent, crime victims are waiting up to a third longer for a response. Police response times in some areas have been increased by up to 50 per cent because of funding cuts . Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, pictured, claimed the victims of crime were being put at risk . According to figures released to the Labour Party  under the Freedom of Information Act, across England and Wales, average 999 response times have increased by 17 percent. In Bedfordshire the average response time has increased from seven to 11 minutes. Crime victims in Cambridgeshire and South Wales wait on average 14 minutes. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: '999 waits have gone up significantly for the most serious emergencies and that means victims are being put at risk. 'This is the direct consequence of of Tory police cuts, yet now they want to go even further.' In an effort to reduce the pressure on the 999 system, the government introduced a 101 number to report less urgent crimes such as antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, car theft and petty vandalism. The number of police officers across England and Wales has fallen by 17,000 since 2009 with several forces planning even more extreme reductions. The Metropolitan Police is one of the only forces in the country which has been able to keep front-line officer numbers at earlier levels. Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales said: 'What we are seeing are the dangers of the governemnt cutting the police budgets so harshly over the last five years. It can come as no surprise that victims of crime are now having to wait significantly longer for police help to arrive. 'There are now 17,000 fewer officers and 17,000 fewer police staff around - what does the government expect to happen? 'Cuts have consequences and the politicians must start backing the police service. Otherwise, despite the best efforts of officers, victims of crime are going to have to wait longer and longer for police attention.' However, the Home Office dismisses the criticism claiming that crime levels are continuing to fall.
target: Some crime vicitms are waiting up to two minutes longer for a response .
  There are now 17,000 fewer police officers across the country than in 2009 .
  Callers have been urged to contact the non-emergency 101 service .
  Labour's Yvette Cooper blames the increase in waiting time on Tory cuts .