New Met commissioner declines to say whether force is institutionally racist

Sir Mark Rowley says he is not interested in labels', while vowing to root out racism in the force

The new commissioner of the Metropolitan police declined to say whether his force was institutionally racist or not, saying he was not interested in labels", while vowing to root out racism in the force.

Sir Mark Rowley's comments, as he carried out a round of media interviews were criticised by black officers and the surviving brother of Stephen Lawrence, whose murder by a racist gang was botched by the Met and which led to the Macpherson inquiry in 1999 finding the Met was institutionally racist.