Britain's most senior female police officer quits Scotland Yard after 31 years

Britain's most senior female police officer - Scotland Yard's assistant commissioner Cressida Dick - is leaving the service after 31 years.

Cressida Dick, who was assistant commissioner in charge of specialist operations, including counter-terrorism, between July 2011 and summer this year, is to take up a new role at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The assistant commissioner, who was in charge of specialist crime and operations for the last few months of her career after being moved from counter-terror responsibilities, joined the Metropolitan Police in 1983.

Cressida Dick first came to national prominence in July 2005 when she was in charge of the operation that led to the fatal shooting of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, who was wrongly identified as an attempted suicide bomber.

A jury cleared her of any blame in his death.