Cressida Dick has resigned as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Announcing her decision this evening - February 10 - the police chief said she has "no choice" but to leave after mayor of London Sadiq Khan lost "sufficient confidence" in her leadership.

Her resignation comes after a string of scandals under her leadership, including racist and sexist messages sent by officers at Charing Cross police station recently coming to light.

The commissioner also faced criticism in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder in March 2021.

The 33-year-old marketing executive was kidnapped, raped and killed by then-serving Met officer Wayne Couzens.

Following Ms Everard's death, many deemed the police's handling of protests over women's safety heavy-handed and inappropriate.

In her resignation statement this evening, Commissioner Dick said she has agreed to stay on for a short period to "ensure the stability of the Met and its leadership" while a replacement is found.

She said: "Undertaking this role as a servant of the people of London and the UK has been the greatest honour and privilege of my life.

"Throughout my career I have sought to protect the people of this wonderful thriving and diverse city."

"I'm incredibly proud of my team and all they have achieved," she added.

"Since day one tackling violence in all its forms has been my number one priority."

The commissioner conceded that teenagers continue to be murdered on the streets of the capital, calling every attack a "tragedy".

"But we are delivering and overall violence is down. The Met is bucking the national trend," she said.

"We are achieving remarkable results in key areas of violence, with thousands of fewer victims of knife crime, robbery and other attacks."

Commissioner Dick also praised the growing number of women "in every rank" of the Met and an increasing number of officers from the "broad range of ethnic backgrounds that truly reflect the diversity of London".

"This is the Met where every hour of every day our people perform heroic acts to protect the public," she said.

"We are more accountable, more transparent and more open than ever – with deeper links to our communities."