Scandal-hit Metropolitan Police (Met) is to appoint one senior officer to lead local policing as part of a drive to strengthen presence.

The changes come in next month when the Met will stall an officer of superintendent rank into each of London’s 32 boroughs as part of an overhaul by new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

Sir Mark has vowed to turn the Met’s fortunes around after a series of scandals, most recently an officer who admitted dozens of sex crimes.

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “Our neighbourhood teams will earn trust and confidence within their local communities through developing strong links with them.

“They will work with Londoners and use their policing powers to proactively identify, investigate and solve local crimes, anti-social behaviour and local problems.

“Communities need to feel involved in determining their policing needs and to know that the Met is there to solve the problems that matter to them – and we will be.”

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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I’ve been very clear about the vital need to strengthen ties between the police and London’s communities – it must be the cornerstone of the Met’s efforts to keep crime down and rebuild public confidence.

“I welcome the Met’s plans to have a senior officer leading neighbourhood policing in every borough, creating better and more visible relationships with all the communities it serves.

“This is an important step forward which, combined with my proposals to fund 500 new PCSOs and invest record sums from City Hall in neighbourhood policing, will support [Commissioner] Sir Mark Rowley’s plans to restore real neighbourhood policing in our city and help build a safer London for everyone.”