The Met Police must learn from the “appalling mistakes of the past”, the home secretary has told new commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

Sir Mark, the former counter-terrorism policing chief, has been appointed to replace Dame Cressida Dick following her controversial resignation.

In a three-page letter to Sir Mark dated September 2, Priti Patel references a host of recent scandals as she stresses the need for a “transformation” of the Met.

These include Sarah Everard’s murder, the strip search of Child Q and the findings of the inquest into the deaths of Stephen Port's victims.

“Londoners need to be assured that improvements are being made immediately and will have an impact," Ms Patel wrote.

“I expect the MPS, under your leadership, clearly to demonstrate that it will learn from the appalling mistakes of the past and move the culture away from the organisational defensiveness that has hindered progress and damaged public trust."

Sir Mark's tenure is set to begin on September 12, while a new home secretary is likely to be appointed once either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak takes over as prime minister.

Ms Patel writes in the letter: “It is absolutely vital that trust and confidence is restored and that visible, responsive policing which cuts crime is at the forefront.

She added: “Reducing crime is the central mission of policing and I am pleased to see that good progress is being made in some areas, with both gun crime and burglary continuing to fall across London.

“But there remain areas where further progress is needed. Whilst recorded crime remains below the pre-pandemic levels, it has been rising over the last year and I am very concerned that violent crime levels are now above pre-pandemic levels.”

Ms Patel said the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers remains a “key priority” for the government, but also raises concerns that “levels of police staff in the MPS have not grown in line with the funding the government has provided to recruit and support additional officers”.

This comes amid the ongoing row over the circumstances of Dame Cressida’s resignation, although Ms Patel does not mention it in the letter directly.

Dame Cressida quit as Britain’s most senior police officer in March after criticism from London mayor Sadiq Khan.

A report earlier this week by ex-chief constable of constabulary Sir Tom Winsor found Dame Cressida “felt intimidated” into quitting and was effectively “constructively dismissed” from her role by the mayor.

She left her post in April and two months later, the Met was put into special measures by the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

In his report, Sir Tom found “none of the statutory steps" set out in section 48 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 were followed.

He wrote: “If the commissioner did not attend a meeting and convince the mayor that her plan of February 4 2022 would be improved, he would make a statement to the media.

“That statement would make clear that he no longer had trust and confidence in the commissioner, and that he intended to start the statutory process for her removal.

“When the commissioner did not attend that meeting, the mayor’s chief of staff reiterated the mayor’s position and gave her less than one hour to decide what to do.

“She felt intimidated by this process into stepping aside, and I can understand that.”

Sir Tom, who stepped down from his post leading HMICFRS in March, concluded “due process was not followed”.

Mr Khan disputed the findings, saying the report was “clearly biased and ignores the facts”.

He said: “On the former commissioner’s watch, trust in the police fell to record lows following a litany of terrible scandals.

“What happened was simple, I lost confidence in the former commissioner’s ability to make the changes needed and she then chose to stand aside.

“Londoners elected me to hold the Met commissioner to account and that’s exactly what I have done.

“I make absolutely no apology for demanding better for London and for putting the interests of the city I love first."

Dame Cressida, describing it a “highly detailed and forensic account”, said: “I regret this report was necessary but I hope it will help create a sounder foundation for my successors.”