Metropolitan Police must learn from appalling mistakes - Patel

Priti Patel has urged the new commissioner to transform the Met

The Metropolitan Police must learn from the "appalling mistakes of the past", the home secretary has said.

Priti Patel has written to incoming commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, urging a "transformation" of the force.

In the three-page letter, dated 2 September, she referred to several high-profile incidents which she said had "affected public trust".

Dame Cressida Dick quit as head of the Met in March following criticism over the handling of a number of scandals.

Among the high-profile controversies during her tenure was the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met Police officer.

That case, among other recent incidents, were referred to as evidence the force needs "extensive reform" by Ms Patel.

She wrote in the letter: "Several recent high-profile incidents have affected public trust and confidence across communities particularly in London - raising serious questions about the culture and standards in the [Met]."

Other controversies referred to in the letter include strip searches of children, the investigation into abusive behaviour at Charing Cross, and the Stephen Port case.

Sir Mark, who will become the head of the service on 12 September, takes over at a difficult time for the Met, with a new home secretary likely to be appointed once either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak is appointed as the next prime minister.

Elsewhere in her letter, Ms Patel wrote: "It is absolutely vital that trust and confidence is restored and that visible, responsive policing which cuts crime is at the forefront."

She added that she expected the new commissioner to "promote better leadership and higher standards at every level throughout the force", and said that the Met was "failing to get the basics right".

Ms Patel said the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers remained a "key priority" for the government, but also raised concerns that "levels of police staff in the Met have not grown in line with the funding the government has provided".

Dame Cressida quit as Britain's most senior police officer following criticism from London Mayor Sadiq Khan over her handling of racist, misogynist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers based at Charing Cross police station.

A report earlier this week by ex-chief constable of constabulary Sir Tom Winsor found Dame Cressida "felt intimidated" into quitting and was effectively "constructively dismissed" from her role by the mayor.

Mr Khan disputed the findings, saying the report by the former boss of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services was "clearly biased and ignores the facts".