Norman Tebbit, the Tory peer and former minister, has called for those who kill police officers to face the death penalty after two Greater Manchester policewomen were killed "in an act of cold blooded murder" in Tameside.
"The hard fact is, as violent criminals know perfectly well, a credible threat that a man will lose his life unless he complies with a demand usually results in obedience," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
Tebbit said he believed about 150 people have been killed "because their killers have been freed to kill again" since the death penalty was suspended and abolished.
His comments come as police continue to question Dale Cregan, one of the country's most wanted men, who faces accusations that he killed Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes before giving himself up.
It emerged on Tuesday night that Dale Cregan, 29 was arrested in June in connection with the murder of Mark Short but was released on bail pending further inquiries.
The police constables, Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, had been sent to investigate what appeared to be a routine burglary report when Cregan attacked them with a gun and a grenade, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
32-year-old Fiona Bone and 23-year-old Nicola Hughes were killed after they responded to reports of a burglary
Miss Bone's father Paul told The Daily Telegraph: "Bring back hanging. Let policemen shoot people on sight. I am just so completely shocked. She was such a lovely girl. I can't even bring myself to think about the wedding."
After the murders, the fugitive, already wanted in connection with separate gun and grenade attacks that killed father and son David and Mark Short, gave himself up at nearby Hyde police station in Greater Manchester.
A bomb disposal unit was seen outside the police station where Cregan handed himself in
GMP's Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said Tuesday may have been one of the "darkest days" in the history of the police service.
He told reporters: "Clearly we are devastated today by the loss of two of our officers.
"This is one of the darkest days in the history of the Greater Manchester Police if not for the police service overall, because we have lost two deeply loved and valued colleagues, because they are part of our team. Policing is very much a family."
The chief constable said it was routine to send unarmed officers to a burglary call and that the force believed Cregan was in the property in Abbey Gardens, Hattersley overnight.
Sir Peter said police were working under the assumption that Cregan or someone else reported a burglary but because the address was not known to officers, the policewomen were sent to the scene unarmed.
Police offered a £50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Cregan
He said: "When they arrived, it appears that Cregan emerged into the road and killed these two officers. A firearm was used, a grenade was also used."
Sir Peter said he believed Cregan had been "protected by a criminal conspiracy to harbour him", adding that the force was "fully determined" to investigate that conspiracy and bring those involved "to book".
Two people from the house, a man and a woman, were helping police with inquiries last night.
Sir Peter said he was not aware that Cregan had contacted police at any time during their manhunt or made any threats to police officers.
But he added that police had been looking at a range of scenarios including Cregan trying to kill other people as a result of the gangland feud he was involved in.
The outrage prompted renewed calls for the routine arming of police.
But Sir Peter said his force believed "passionately" that police should remain unarmed, despite the tragedy.
Cregan, who only has one eye after reportedly losing the other during a fight in Thailand, had been the subject of a huge manhunt after the murders of David Short, 46, and his son Mark, 23. A £50,000 reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest.
David Short was killed at his home in Folkestone Road East, Clayton, Manchester, on August 10, while Mark was gunned down at the Cotton Tree pub in nearby Droylsden, on May 25.
Four men have already been charged in connection with Mark Short's murder and will enter pleas at Manchester Crown Court in November.
A 33-year-old man and a 24-year-old man have been charged with the gun and grenade murder of David Short.
The chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Federation Ian Hanson called the deaths "the slaughter of the innocents".
He said: "I'm going to look beyond the uniform here. What we've got are two young girls that went out this morning and they've got an absolute right to come home tonight to their loved ones. This is cold-blooded murder. It's the slaughter of the innocents. GMP is a family."
Prime Minister David Cameron said the killings were an "absolutely despicable act of pure evil".
Eyewitnesses said a hail of bullets was fired and then a grenade was used during the attack, shortly before 11am. One of the officers died at the scene. The second was critically injured and died later.
Cregan is being questioned on suspicion of the murder of the two police officers and also the murders of David and Mark Short.
“In those circumstances suspects have to be released on bail as there are strict time limits covering how long suspects can be held in custody without charge. That is exactly what happened in this case.”
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