INADEQUATE Tory plans to support witnesses to murders and atrocities have “left victims out to dry,” Labour has warned.

The charge came after Westminster announced government-backed help for those affected by major incidents, such as the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, and eyewitnesses to traumatic incidents across England and Wales.

The expansion of Homicide Service support, which provides trauma and bereavement counselling, restorative justice and advocacy, will also now include children, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

Grief-stricken families are meant to be automatically referred to the public body by police following a crime which results in death, but the changes mean any witnesses to such an incident and young people who know victims should also be referred.

The MoJ announced £600,000 in funding, but the comparatively small amount is set to come from existing budgets and will be added to £4.6 million previously allocated.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: “By expanding the service to include eyewitnesses and bereaved families of major incidents, thousands more people will be able to access the support they need as early as possible.”

But opposition MPs criticised the scope of the measures and urged ministers to improve legal representation offered to those affected by tragedies such as the 1989 Hillsborough stadium crush or the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. 

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: “Victims have been left out to dry under this Conservative government.

“Labour stands unequivocally with the families and survivors of Hillsborough, Grenfell and Manchester. We must do everything within our power to prevent tragedies like this ever happening again.

“Victims have repeatedly called for a Hillsborough law to ensure that victims of major tragedies get the same legal representation as the authorities that failed them — the government has failed to provide this parity.”