UK police chief resigns over alleged misconduct

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The head of Britain's Police Inspectorate has resigned amid allegations of misconduct.

The head of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Michael Lockwood, is being investigated by the police, Interior Minister Suella Braverman told the AFP news agency on Saturday evening.

That's why she gave him the choice of resigning or being suspended.

The interior minister did not provide any further information on the allegations.

Series of British police scandals

According to the Times, Lockwood's alleged misconduct "occurred almost four decades ago" when the 63-year-old was in his 20s.

Lockwood himself said he was resigning "for personal and domestic reasons."

The BBC also reported on the case.

The IOPC was set up in 2018 to deal with complaints about police officers in England and Wales.

The British police have recently been criticized for a series of scandals.

The kidnapping, rape and murder of Londoner Sarah Everard by a police officer last year caused outrage.

As a result, calls were made to combat sexism and misogyny within the police force.

swe/afp