The new Metropolitan Police Commissioner began his first day in the job today - and started it in Romford.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, who has taken over the role from acting commissioner Tim Godwin, was at Romford Police Station, Main Road, at 5.30am.

He met officers parading before their morning shift.

Mr Hogan-Howe will be working his way across the capital, having moved on to neighbouring Barking and Dagenham this morning, to arrive at Scotland Yard at 8pm.

He said: “I want to make the Met the best police service in the world. It is my intention to build on public trust in the Met and lead a service that criminals will fear, and staff will be proud to work for.

“As Commissioner, I have three simple aims: I want us to cut crime, cut costs, and continue to develop the culture of the organisation, and to do all that based on simple but important values of humility, transparency and integrity. We will do that through what I call ‘Total Policing’.”