Met Commissioner Cressida Dick 'could receive £575,000 payout'

11 February 2022, 18:23

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner could be in line for a massive payout of £575,000, reports say.

Dame Cressida Dick resigned last night after a string of controversies with the force culminated in London Mayor Sadiq Khan telling her he no longer had confidence in her leadership.

The Daily Mail reports she could receive a payout "in the region of" £575,000, as well as receiving three pensions worth around £160,000 a year.

She is expected to stay in the role for several weeks while the search begins for a successor.

It is understood Mr Khan summoned the Met Commissioner for a meeting at 4.30pm after he was unhappy with her plan to reform the force - but instead of attending, the police boss quit.

This followed a number of damaging incidents which emerged since she has been in the role.

Read more: Met colleagues of killer cop Wayne Couzens face charges over ‘racist & sexist Whatsapps’

These included the brutal murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, who performed a fake arrest using his police warrant card and handcuffs, before kidnapping, raping and killing her.

The Met was further criticised for its heavy-handled response to a vigil for Ms Everard, after it moved in and arrested women attending the peaceful gathering.

One of those arrested, Patsy Stevenson, told LBC she "almost cried" when she heard the news of Dick's resignation.

Read more: Priti demands 'strong and decisive new leadership' to take over scandal-hit Met

Home Secretary Priti Patel, writing in the Evening Standard, said she knows the successor to the role will face "stark" and "institutional" challenges.

She said: "Following a series of appalling incidents and too many historical cases involving serving Met Police officers, it is clear that strong and decisive new leadership will be required to restore public confidence in our largest police force.

Sarah Jones – Shadow Minister for Policing and the Fire Service

"The public in London and across the entire country must once again have confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the police officers who serve them."

She is looking for someone who is focused on reducing violence, tackling the abuse of women and girls, and cracking down on drugs and weapons on the streets.

Reactions to Dick's resignation have been varied, with some former officers telling LBC she should not have been forced to resign.

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Met from 2009-2011, said Dame Cressida Dick had no choice but to quit but criticised the Mayor of London's handling of it.

He said: "I think her position was completely untenable... Once [the Mayor] has publicly made it clear that with a matter of days or weeks his confidence is ebbing and is likely to go, then frankly I don't think she had anywhere else to go."