Theresa May: 'Police integrity is critical'

The Home Secretary has promised that a newly empowered police watchdog will begin investigating complaints against the police next year.

The system is being strengthened in an attempt to reassure the public after a series of high profile cases, including concern over standards in wake of the phone-hacking scandal, the handling of the Hillsborough disaster and the recent "plebgate" affair in which police evidence was used against government minister Andrew Mitchell.

Theresa May told officers the existing Independent Police Complaints Commission needed to be "beefed up".