In the wake of the David Carrick case, information has revealed that more than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff previously accused of domestic violence and sexual offences are having the allegations reviewed.

It comes as the serving Met officer, who was once a highly trusted armed officer in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was discovered to be one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders.

Now Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said that the weak policies and decision meant Carrick was able to stay in the force for 20 years, despite complaints made against him. 

As Sir Mark told BBC Breakfast said: "We’ve let London down – he’s been a police officer for 20 years.

“Through a combination of weak policies and weak decisions, over those 20 years we missed opportunities when he joined and subsequently, as behaviour came to the fore that we should have removed him from policing.

“Whether it would have affected him being a sex offender I don’t know, but he shouldn’t have been doing it as a police officer.”

The cases under review affect 800 officers who have allegations made against them but saw no further action taken. 

Sir Mark said some will have involved a neighbour hearing raised voices, while others will have involved “very concerning” behaviour.

On Monday (January 16) Carrick appeared at Southwark Crown Court to plead guilty to 48 charges including  24 counts of rape against 12 women over an 18-year period.

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Details of his abuse were revealed. He kept some victims locked in a tiny cupboard for hours, beating and urinating on them.

Carrick joined the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment aged 19 and went on tours to Cyprus and the Falklands.

About 15 years ago, he cut off contact with his mother because, she believes, he did not like his younger half-brother and sister.

She told the newspaper she was devastated by the allegations against him, adding: “He’s still my boy, still my son. I just don’t know why he’s done it.

“You know, when he was doing well, and now he’s lost everything.”

An accelerated disciplinary hearing is due to be held by the Met Police on Tuesday in the wake of Carrick’s guilty pleas.