London Police Chief Resigns over Slew of Scandals

London's police chief Cressida Dick announced her resignation Thursday over a string of scandals that rocked the British capital's force.

Dick, who became the first woman to head London's Metropolitan Police in 2017, said she had "no choice but to step aside" after London mayor Sadiq Khan said he no longer had confidence in her leadership.

"I say this with deep sadness and regret," the UK's most senior police officer said in a televised statement, wearing her uniform.

Moreover, Dick admitted that she felt "huge sadness", but it was "clear that the mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue". She had been set to stay as head of the service until 2024.

On his part, Khan said he was "not satisfied with the commissioner's response", after a meeting last week where he insisted broad changes were needed to "root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny" in the force.

The sudden announcement comes as her police force investigates the "Partygate" scandal swirling around Prime Minister Boris Johnson over alleged parties held in breach of coronavirus restrictions.

Last week, five senior aides to Johnson, including Elena Narozanski, Munira Mirza, Dan Rosenfield, Martin Reynolds, and Jack Doyle, resigned from Downing Street hours of each other amid growing pressure on the prime minister.