Guardian Daily: Met police in crisis

The Metropolitan police was already under fire over the policing of London's G20 protests and the death of bystander Ian Tomlinson. Yesterday's sudden resignation of Britain's top anti-terror policeman, Bob Quick, the assistant commissioner, after he accidentally revealed details of a top-secret operation, compounded the Met's woes. Duncan Campbell, the Guardian's former crime correspondent, says the Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has a big challenge in regaining public confidence in his force.

Tony Travers, director of the Greater London Group at the London School of Economics, questions whether it was appropriate for the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to announce Quick's departure.

Legal affairs correspondent Afua Hirsch says events following Mr Tomlinson's death expose the need for reform of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Sandra Laville, the Guardian's crime correspondent, looks at the background to the Met's current problems.