The Metropolitan Police said its investigation into alleged parties held at Downing Street during lockdown will not be affected by Dame Cressida Dick’s shock resignation.

Dame Cressida was effectively forced out of her job as Met Police Commissioner after losing the confidence of London Mayor Sadiq Khan following a series of scandals.

The force said the ‘partygate’ probe continues as normal under the leadership of Commander Catherine Roper.

A government minister has also moved to reassure people that Dame Cressida’s removal won’t impact the partygate inquiry.

Transport minister Robert Courts told Sky News: ‘Police are very used to handling matters where there are different parties involved.

‘They are totally independent and I have absolute confidence in their ability to operationally carry out an investigation.

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‘So they will do that and they will do that in a way that is independent – that will not be affected by the role at the top of the Met.’

It comes after the force has repeatedly come under fire for its handling of the investigation.

Scotland Yard was at first criticised for failing to look into the events when the first stories broke last year.

The force finally announced a criminal investigation had been launched in January amid intensifying pressure as more and more allegations emerged.

But widespread anger erupted again when the Met asked senior civil servant Sue Gray to only make ‘minimal reference’ to No 10 events in her report into alleged parties.

The Met argued the constraints on the Cabinet Office inquiry into ‘partygate’ are necessary to ‘avoid any prejudice to our investigation’.

But this prompted accusations that police were trying to delay the release of the full findings.

Dame Cressida was also forced to defend officers on duty in Westminster as questions were raised on how the gatherings were able to take place at a site with a heavy police presence.

She said the officers were there to provide ‘protective security’ but refused to be drawn on ‘anything they may have seen or heard’.

It is understood Dame Cressida quit after declining to attend a meeting with the mayor on Thursday afternoon to discuss reforms.

The Met has also faced accusations of a toxic working culture following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens, as well as racist, misogynist and homophobic messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross police station.

In a statement on Thursday, Dame Cressida said she will stand aside because London Mayor Sadiq Khan ‘no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue’.

Home Secretary Priti Patel, who was reportedly unimpressed with Mr Khan’s ‘rude’ handling of the situation, will oversee the appointment of a new commissioner.

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