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Met chief Blair 'set to resign' Met chief Sir Ian Blair resigns
(about 1 hour later)
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair is on the point of resigning, the BBC understands. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has resigned.
A "significant" statement is expected later on the future of Sir Ian, the UK's most senior officer since 2005. Sir Ian, the UK's most senior officer since 2005, has faced criticism over the racism row involving the Met's most senior Asian officer Tarique Ghaffur.
It follows fresh newspaper reports on the use of public money to pay a close friend to advise him. Sir Ian has previously denied any wrongdoing. There have also been questions about his handling of events surrounding the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by police marksmen.
He has also faced criticism over the racism row involving the Met's most senior Asian officer Tarique Ghaffur. Sir Ian has denied any wrongdoing over an inquiry into the use of public money to pay a close friend to advise him.
There have been questions too about his handling of events surrounding the 2005 death of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead at Stockwell Underground station in south London after being mistaken for a suicide bomber.
There has been no official confirmation on the resignation from either the Metropolitan Police, the force's watchdog the Metropolitan Police Authority [MPA] or the Home Office.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has repeatedly avoided publicly backing Sir Ian, has called for the commissioner to be directly accountable to City Hall.
He took over as chairman of the MPA on Wednesday.
'No secret'
Sir Ian has been commissioner since February 2005.
Last month, he was forced to deny newspaper reports that he is to be ousted from Scotland Yard when his contract expires in 2010.
MPA auditors are in the process of examining Scotland Yard contracts given to consultancy firm Impact Plus, run by his friend.
Sir Ian has said he had been "open and straightforward in informing both the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] and the MPA about my relationship with someone who was subsequently awarded a contract with the MPS".