Beleaguered Metropolitan Police boss Dame Cressida Dick has resigned from her job after losing the backing of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The commissioner has faced a series of scandals during her time leading Britain’s biggest police force – most recently concerning violently racist, misogynist and homophobic messages exchanged by officers based at Charing Cross police station that were published by a watchdog.
It is understood Dame Cressida submitted a plan for reforming the force but Mr Khan did not think it met what was required, and called her in for a meeting at 4.30pm on Thursday.
However she did not attend and submitted her resignation instead.
Rank and file officers reacted with sadness, with the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation Ken Marsh protesting that she had been treated unfairly, while the Home Office was reportedly not told in advance of her shock departure.
Mr Khan did not inform the Home Secretary of his intention to request a meeting with the commissioner, the PA news agency understands.
According to Home Office sources, Priti Patel was not impressed by this and thought it was “rude and unprofessional”.
Ms Patel will oversee the appointment of the new commissioner and more details on how she will set about searching for a replacement are expected to be confirmed in due course.
Mr Marsh told PA: “We are deeply saddened by the resignation of our commissioner. She was much loved across the rank and file of the Metropolitan Police Service.
“We feel the way she has been treated is wholly unfair and we did believe that she was the person who could take us through this and bring us out the other side.”
The apparent support from officers was not reflected by various critics, including women’s rights group Reclaim These Streets, which tweeted: “Good riddance.”
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