Met police pays damages to women arrested at Sarah Everard vigil

Apology and substantial' payouts to Patsy Stevenson and Dania al-Obeid mark major climbdown after years of legal battles

• Arrested at a vigil: how Patsy Stevenson's life changed for ever

Scotland Yard has apologised and paid substantial damages" to two women arrested during the vigil for Sarah Everard, in a major climbdown following years of legal battles over the policing of the event.

In a move that the new Metropolitan police commissioner, Mark Rowley, will hope draws a line under one of the darkest periods of the Met's recent history, the force acknowledged that it was understandable" that Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid had wanted to attend a candlelit vigil at Clapham Common because they felt women had been badly let down".