Met Chief should resign over Menezes verdict

4.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 1st Nov 2007

London's police force has been found guilty of breaking health and safety laws over the shooting dead of a man officers mistook for a suicide bomber. The Metropolitan Police unnecessarily put the public at risk in chasing Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes across the city, a jury decided. Armed police shot Mr de Menezes shot seven times in the head at Stockwell Tube station on 22 July 2005. The force has been fined £175,000 and ordered to pay £385,000 in costs. The Liberal Democrat and Conservative shadow home secretaries have both called for Met chief Sir Ian Blair to resign.

This guilty verdict makes it unavoidable that Ian Blair should take responsibility on behalf of his whole organisation and resign. Whilst the ruling undoubtedly raises complex questions about future police operations, the simple priority today is to show that we have a police force in London which is prepared to accept full responsibility for its actions.