Hours before Dick’s resignation was announced, she was asked by the BBC if she would step down and replied: “I have absolutely no intention of going and I believe that I am and have been, actually for the last five years, leading a real transformation in the Met.”

In a statement, Dick made clear she had been forced out, saying: “It is with huge sadness that, following contact with the mayor of London today, it is clear that the mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue. He has left me no choice but to step aside as commissioner of the Metropolitan police service.

Following the news of her resignation, the prime minister thanked Dick for “serving her country with great dedication and distinction over many decades.”

Cressida Dick has resigned as commissioner of the Metropolitan Police after being accused of failing to deal with a culture of misogyny and racism