Cressida Dick stresses her identity as a woman as she takes on her armchair critics

Embroiled in a career-threatening crisis, the Met commissioner had not one word of criticism for her officers' actions

Faced with massive political pressure, Cressida Dick decided to make the personal her best defence on Sunday, while focusing on loyalty to her officers no matter how vehement the criticism.

The first female commissioner since the founding of the Metropolitan police in 1829 stressed her identity as a woman as she tried to convince her critics she should stay in her job and bear down on violence, especially that suffered by other women and girls.