The Met Police has been placed under special measures by a policing watchdog following a series of failures.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the force is being closely scrutinised having been involved in a number of scandals in recent times.

The death of Sarah Everard, who was abducted and murdered by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, saw the force attract huge criticism.

Its handling of the Child Q case has also been widely slammed, while its reputation has also been damaged by the Charing Cross police station scandal.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan admitted the watchdog had raised very serious concerns and called for "root-and-branch" reforms to better the force's performance and culture.

Mr Khan added: "A series of appalling scandals have not only exposed deep cultural problems but have damaged the confidence of Londoners in the capital's police service."

Home secretary Priti Patel also welcomed the move, saying: “I expect the police to get the basics right.

"It is clear the Metropolitan Police Service is falling short of these expectations which is why I support the action that HMICFRS has taken today to highlight their failings."

A spokeswoman for the watchdog said: “We can confirm that we are now monitoring the Metropolitan Police Service through our Engage process, which provides additional scrutiny and support to help it make improvements.”

According to the policing watchdog’s website, a force enters the engage process if it is “not responding to a cause of concern, or if it is not succeeding in managing, mitigating or eradicating the cause of concern”.

A Met statement: "We recognise the cumulative impact of events and problems that the Met is dealing with. We understand the impact this has had on communities and we share their disappointment.

"We are determined to be a police service Londoners can be proud of. We are talking to the Inspectorate about next steps."