Sarah Everard: Officers urged to challenge colleagues to rebuild public trust

Sarah Everard was kidnapped and raped by PC Wayne Couzens after he falsely arrested her in Clapham, south London, in March

Restoring the public's faith in police officers is a key priority, according to Staffordshire Police's new chief constable.

Cases including the murder of Sarah Everard have lowered public trust and it needs addressing, Chris Noble said.

Met Police officer Wayne Couzens staged a fake arrest to kidnap Ms Everard before he raped and murdered her.

Police officers and staff have to be held "to the highest possible standards", Mr Noble said.

He said it was not just about better vetting and faster discipline, but a "zero tolerance approach in terms of standards".

New Chief Constable Chris Noble said Staffordshire Police staff would have a "really clear mandate" to challenge colleagues' behaviour

Front-line officers and staff at the force will be given a "really clear mandate" to challenge what they see and hear from colleagues "that perhaps in the past there would have been a tolerance for", Mr Noble said.

He promised anyone stepping over the line would be dealt with "quickly and in a very effective way" and the public would be told.

Mr Noble is the former assistant chief constable of Humberside Police and succeeded Gareth Morgan in the Staffordshire role.

Ms Everard's murder sparked a discussion over trust in the police, with the Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick saying she was determined to rebuild public confidence.