Met Police’s new chief revealed after scandal-hit Cressida Dick forced to quit over string of failings

FORMER counter terror chief Sir Mark Rowley is set to be announced as the new commissioner of the embattled Met Police.

Sir Mark is to return to Scotland Yard to lead the force he left four years ago.

The decision was taken by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has been consulting with London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

He was one of two candidates interviewed, beating assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave to the top job.

The news comes less than a fortnight after the Met was put into special measures for the first time ever – meaning it’s officially ranked as one of Britain’s lowest-performing forces.

A damning watchdog report blasted the force for numerous fiascos, including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.

Inspectors also called out the strip-search of a black schoolgirl and the “racially-profiled” stop and search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams.

And there was criticism of racist WhatsApp messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross Police Station.

Two Met cops were then sacked for sick messages about Meghan Markle just three days after the measures were revealed.

PC Sukhdev Jeer and PC Paul Hefford, who worked in a unit at Bethnal Green police station in east London, made racist jokes on WhatsApp in 2018.

Sir Mark will likely have an uphill struggle ahead of him to restore public trust in the force.

He was overlooked for the commissioner’s job in 2017, when he lost out to Dame Cressida Dick.

But her own tenure ended in shame in February, when Mr Khan said he’d lost confidence in her leadership.

Sir Mark, a former chief constable of Surrey Police, joined the Met in 2011 as assistant commissioner for specialist operations.

He brought the homicide rate below 100 in a year through targeting gang leaders and covert tactics.

In March 2018, he retired as the national lead for counter-terrorism after a year which saw five major attacks, including the Manchester Arena bombing.