The Met Police has confirmed its new commissioner who will be tasked with turning the force around.
Sir Mark Rowley has been hired after Cressida Dick was forced out following a string of high-profile scandals.
Sir Mark was a former head of counter terrorism and was in the last two candidates and the 57-year-old left the Met in 2018 and was the favourite to become the country’s top copper.
He previously applied for the post in 2017 but lost out to Dick and worked in the private sector since leaving the force.
But now Sir Rowley is the UK's top copper, it will be his job to turn around a police force recently placed under special measures and lacking in public trust.
In recent months, the Met Police came under heavy fire following a series of scandals as the force was dogged by reports of racism, misogyny and homophobia.
This included the horrific strip search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl, Child Q and the horrific murder of Sarah Everard by former Met police officer Wayne Couzens in March last year shocked the nation and shone a harsh spotlight on the country's biggest police force.
The Met Police firearms officer had been "hunting" for a victim and used his warrant card and handcuffs to snatch her off the streets in a false arrest.
Following this, a number of other officers were found to have shared grossly offensive messages about the murder and the force was slammed for its handling of a spontaneous vigil for Sarah.
In light of this a number of other scandals, the police force was placed under special measures for a number of "serious and critical shortcomings".
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) made the severe decision after the force's failings and it marked the first time it had been placed under greater scrutiny.
It means the Met Police faces even more scrutiny, reporting to inspectors on a frequent basis and the force may be required to meet specific targets.
Sir Rowley's job will be to turn around the failing police force and re-establish trust in the eyes of the public after its numerous failings.
Dame Cressida Dick was forced to quit the role after Sadiq Khan said he was "not satisfied" Dame Cressida could "root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny that still exist" in the force or restore Londoners' trust.
He told her he had lost confidence in her ability to turn the force around and she resigned before a showdown meeting in February this year.
Dame Dick had long been mired in scandal since she led a police operation which led to the shooting of innocent 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes after he was confused for a potential suicide bomber.
In a statement, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The Home Secretary and I have agreed that Sir Mark Rowley is the best person to lead the Metropolitan Police as the new Commissioner at this extremely challenging time.
“A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed deep cultural problems within the Met, but have contributed to a crisis of confidence in London’s police service.
"Sir Mark has made clear to me that he is determined to be a reforming Commissioner, committed to implementing a robust plan to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and to drive through the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve. "
Khan went onto say that he would support and hold Sir Rowley to the promises and said he would bring a "valuable new perspective to the Met."
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Sir Mark Rowley is a distinguished and exceptionally experienced police officer, having served the people of the West Midlands and Surrey before guiding the capital through some of its most challenging moments in the wake of the 2017 terror attacks, as the Met’s then head of counter-terrorism.
“He now takes on one of the most important and demanding jobs in policing, leading the country’s largest force at a time when public trust in the Metropolitan Police has been severely undermined by a number of significant failings. Rebuilding public trust and delivering on crime reduction must be his priority.
