Dame Cressida Dick has dramatically quit as Met Police Commissioner just hours after announcing she had "absolutely no intention" of stepping down.
It comes after London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "not satisfied" Dame Cressida could "root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny that still exist" in the force or restore Londoners' trust, the Mirror Online reports.
It is understood Dame Cressida resigned instead of attending a showdown meeting with the Mayor at around 4.30pm today.
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Mr Khan said the final straw was the police watchdog's report into 14 cops who joked about rape, LGBT people and violence towards women in Whatsapp messages, saying he was "shocked" and "the response from the Commissioner wasn't up to the scale of the change required in the Met Police Service".
Scotland Yard has been rocked by multiple scandals in recent months, including the force's handling of partygate, Sarah Everard's murder and repeated claims of a culture of misogyny and racism.
It has been agreed that Dame Cressida will continue to serve for a short period to enable an orderly handover.
The Mayor said in a statement: “Last week, I made clear to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner the scale of the change I believe is urgently required to rebuild the trust and confidence of Londoners in the Met and to root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny that still exists.
"I am not satisfied with the Commissioner’s response.
"On being informed of this, Dame Cressida Dick has said she will be standing aside.
"It’s clear that the only way to start to deliver the scale of the change required is to have new leadership right at the top of the Metropolitan Police.
“I would like to thank Dame Cressida Dick for her 40 years of dedicated public service, with the vast majority spent at the Met where she was the first woman to become Commissioner.
"In particular, I commend her for the recent work in helping us to bring down violent crime in London – although of course there is more to do.
“I want to put on the record again that there are thousands of incredibly brave and decent police officers at the Met who go above and beyond every day to help keep us safe, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude."
It's understood Cressida Dick did not personally tell Sadiq Khan of her decision to quit, either by phone or e-mail.
Officials in Scotland Yard conveyed it to the Mayor's office.
The Mayor and Home Secretary Priti Patel will now begin the search for a new Commissioner.
Dame Cressida acknowledged the Met's failings in her statement, which said: “The murder of Sarah Everard and many other awful cases recently have, I know, damaged confidence in this fantastic police service.
"There is much to do – and I know that the Met has turned its full attention to rebuilding public trust and confidence.”
Describing her decision to resign, she said: “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.
“At his request, I have agreed to stay on for a short period to ensure the stability of the Met and its leadership while arrangements are made for a transition to a new Commissioner.
“Undertaking this role as a servant of the people of London and the UK has been the greatest honour and privilege of my life."
The shock news comes just hours after Dame Cressida gave an interview to BBC London, saying she had put a plan to the Mayor and was "leading transformation" at Scotland Yard.
She said: “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."
