Britain's biggest police force is in turmoil after another senior officer fell on his sword over the phone-hacking scandal.
The Prime Minister was forced to extend Parliament to tackle the crisis as Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner John Yates became the row's latest scalp.
There was another dramatic twist as it emerged phone-hacking whistleblower Sean Hoare had been found dead in "unexplained circumstances".
Meanwhile, Mr Yates brushed aside new claims that he secured a job for the daughter of hacking suspect Neil Wallis by insisting his "conscience is clear".
Britain's top counter-terror officer said he had acted with complete integrity after announcing his resignation less than 24 hours after boss Sir Paul Stephenson announced his intention to quit.
Mr Yates was understood to have been forced out after being warned he faced suspension and a damaging investigation by the police watchdog over criticism surrounding his handling of a review of the initial probe into the News of the World.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission was set to investigate several complaints over his relationship with Mr Wallis, a former executive at the Sunday tabloid.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said it was right for both Sir Paul and Mr Yates to stand down as he announced that Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, the woman who ordered the police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, would lead the Met's counter-terror strategy on an interim basis.
Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin takes temporary overall charge at the chaos-engulfed force before Sir Paul's replacement is appointed, it was announced.
In 2009 Mr Yates carried out a one-day review that concluded there was no cause to reopen the original 2006 hacking investigation. Later that year he served on the committee that vetted Mr Wallis for the media adviser contract.
