SIR MARK Rowley will take on the top job of reforming the Met as its new Commissioner after a series of scandals left the force in disrepute. 

Rowley, 57, was up against Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave to take over from the embattled Cressida Dick following her resignation in February this year.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, prompted her to leaver her role as the “toxic culture” allowed to permeate the police force was thrown under scrutiny.

Incidents of racist and homophoic messages emerged from Charing Cross police station and the murder of Sarah Everard, 33, by a serving Met police officer rocked the force. 

Sir Rowley, who was the former cheif of counter-terrorism from 2014-18, said he was “deeply honoured” to be the new boss while leading to rebuild “trust and confidence” in UK policing by consent. 

“I am grateful that the Home Secretary and Mayor are both determined to support the urgent reforms we need to deliver successful community crime fighting in today’s fast-moving world,” he said.

“These reforms include our use of technology and data, our culture and our policing approach. We will fight crime with communities – not unilaterally dispense tactics.”

Sir Rowley praised the majority of officers who practice an “extraordinary sense of vocation and determination,” but added that he would be “ruthless” in removing corrupt police officers from the force.

Sir Rowley’s appointment comes just weeks after the Met was plunged into special measures by the Inspector of Constabulary at the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Matt Parr.

In a scaving letter to the then acting Met Commissioner, Stephen House, he mentioned the “high profile incidents” of Child Q and the stop and search of Olympic athlete Bianca Williams to dog the Met’s integrity. 

The Met currently remains under heightened scrutiny and monitoring.

The next person to take on the top job was already under fire when 170 racial justice organisations wrote an open letter to the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, urging her to ensure that black and other minorities communities were included in the recruitment process.

It drew further criticism when an all-white panel with no experience in racial equality training was revealed to be deciding who would be the new boss.

Ms Patel welcomed the appointment, calling Sir Rowley “a distinguished and exceptionally experienced police officer.”

She said: “He now takes on one of the most important and demanding jobs in policing, leading the country’s largest force at a time when public trust in the Metropolitan Police has been severely undermined by a number of significant failings. Rebuilding public trust and delivering on crime reduction must be his priority.

“This will be a challenging period, but with a focus on tackling neighbourhood crime and delivering the basics of policing, Sir Mark is committed to tackling the significant challenges confronting the force and to making London’s streets safer by driving down crime and bringing more criminals to justice.”

Mr Khan, who previously said he would block the appointment of the new Commissioner if “cultural problems” weren’t acknowledged, went onto also welcome Sir Rowley’s appointment. 

“A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed deep cultural problems within the Met but have contributed to a crisis of confidence in London’s police service,” he said.

“Sir Mark has made clear to me that he is determined to be a reforming Commissioner, committed to implementing a robust plan to rebuild trust and confidence in the police and to drive through the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance Londoners deserve.  As Mayor, I will support and hold him to these promises as I continue to hold the Met to account.

He added: “Sir Mark has demonstrated to me that he is the outstanding candidate for this role. He brings a wealth of great experience to the position, including exceptional leadership during the 2017 terror attacks and a genuine commitment to increasing engagement with diverse communities across our city. 

“The experience he has gained outside policing over the last 4 years will also bring a valuable new perspective to the Met. Above all, he is committed to policing by consent and shares my ambition to get to a place where all Londoners feel protected and served, and where we have a police force that everyone – including the many brave and dedicated officers in our city – can be proud of.”

The start date for Sir Rowley to begin as Met Commissioner is yet to be confirmed.