Met chief takes £40k pay cut

THE new head of Britain’s biggest police force has cut her own pay by £40,000.

Cressida dick refused the £270,648 paid to her predecessor, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, and asked instead for 15 per cent less.

She will now receive £230,000 for arguably the world’s most prestigious policing role.

Insiders said it was a ‘personal choice’ at a time of cuts to the force’s £3billion budget. But it means her deputy, Craig Mackey, is entitled to a bigger salary than hers.

other chief constables were urged to ‘reflect’ on their pay deals yesterday as frontline staff faced a financial squeeze.

Miss dick, who started her police career in 1983, will make history on Monday as the first woman to take charge of the Metropolitan Police in its 188-year history.

one of her first engagements will be to attend the funeral of murdered PC Keith Palmer at Southwark Cathedral.

Miss dick retired from the force two years ago on a £198,311 salary amid rumours of a fallout with Sir Bernard, who has now retired. At that stage she was entitled to a full final-salary pension of up to £140,000, but went on to work at the Foreign office before her return to policing.

Last year the daily Mail exposed lucrative perks for chief constables, including relocation allowances, free housing and private medical insurance. Suffolk police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore, who has campaigned for more openness over pay, said: ‘It is a welcome move during a time of financial restraint. It will obviously be welcomed by the rank and file and taxpayers.

‘It will be interesting to see if others in similar high-profile positions will reflect on this. We need more transparency.’

Steve o’Connell, a member of the London Assembly and head of a committee overseeing the Met, said: ‘It’s refreshing to see London’s top cop putting public service over financial reward.’