Policing left in a 'hopeless.position', Met chief warns

Mark Rowley hits out at 'absolutely absurd' ruling that leaves force unable to sack officers subject to serious allegations

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

Rogue Metropolitan Police officers facing allegations of rape and domestic abuse who have their vetting revoked cannot be sacked, a High Court has ruled, leaving chiefs powerless to root out bad apples.

Sir Mark Rowley warned the force has been left in a "hopeless position" and will be lodging an appeal after an officer subject to multiple unproven allegations including rape, which he denies, won a legal challenge over the decision to remove his vetting.

It means the force cannot sack the officer, who will be placed on paid leave, as the commissioner called for the government to urgently address gaps in the law blocking efforts to drive up standards in the wake of a series of scandals, including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.

"We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who were not fit to hold vetting - those who cannot be trusted to work with women, or those who cannot be trusted to enter the homes of vulnerable people," he said. "It is absolutely absurd that we cannot lawfully sack them."

Sgt Lino Di Maria's vetting was revoked following a series of unproven complaints about his conduct, including rape and sexual assault. He denies the allegations and has not been charged with, nor convicted of, any offence.

He argued the decision to revoke his vetting - which would almost certainly lead to his dismissal - was unlawful and challenged the "vetting dismissal" process he was subject to under Operation Assure, the Met's programme to root out rogue officers, in a judicial review at the High Court last month.

After the hearing, the force warned the consequences could be "disastrous" and render chiefs powerless to strip unsuitable officers of their warrant cards. It could also force the Met to reinstate sacked officers and leave it liable for thousands in backpay in a worst-case scenario, it said.