The Metropolitan Police cannot dismiss officers by removing their vetting clearance, the High Court has ruled.
The decision comes after Sergeant Lino Di Maria successfully mounted a legal challenge, supported by the Metropolitan Police Federation, after having his vetting removed over sexual assault allegations, which he denies. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the ruling on the law "has left policing in a hopeless position".
“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.
Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The decision comes after Sergeant Lino Di Maria successfully mounted a legal challenge, supported by the Metropolitan Police Federation, after having his vetting removed over sexual assault allegations, which he denies. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the ruling on the law "has left policing in a hopeless position".
“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.
Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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NewsTranscript
00:00For more than two decades, police leaders have been asking government for greater powers
00:05to be able to sack officers who are not fit to wear a uniform.
00:09For two and a half years I've repeated that call and successive governments have promised
00:14change.
00:17Tens of thousands of good officers join the Met because we care deeply about public safety.
00:23The majority of the Met is committed to driving out, to clearing out those who threaten our
00:29collective integrity.
00:32This of course makes us better able to protect communities.
00:35Today's ruling on the law has left policing in a hopeless position.
00:41We now have no mechanism to rid the Met of officers who are not fit to hold betting.
00:47Those who cannot be trusted to work with women or those who cannot be trusted to enter the
00:51homes of vulnerable people.
00:54It is absolutely absurd that we cannot lawfully sack them.
00:59This would not be the case in other sectors where staff have nothing like the powers comparable
01:04to police officers.