Home Secretary Priti Patel has sought to reassure the public over the integrity and dedication of police after the arrest of a serving officer on suspicion of Sarah Everard’s murder.

The officer, who is in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, remains in custody after being detained on suspicion of the murder and kidnapping of Ms Everard, and on a separate allegation of indecent exposure.

Writing in The Sun, Ms Patel said while such “awful” incidents are rare, they are also extremely worrying because they remind women everywhere “of the steps we all take on a daily basis, without a second thought, to keep ourselves safe”.

She said these concerns had been compounded by the fact the man arrested in this case was a serving officer, but said the “vast majority” of police personnel were people of the highest integrity.

“The police hold positions of trust in our communities and it is deeply disturbing to imagine that someone who we would all put our faith in if in danger could allegedly be responsible for such an abhorrent crime,” Ms Patel wrote.

“However, the professionalism and conduct I have witnessed through my own engagement with the police since Sarah’s disappearance has reminded me that the vast majority of police officers serve with the utmost integrity and represent the very best of public service.

“There are currently hundreds of dedicated officers working night and day to bring the perpetrator to justice under the leadership of the first female Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Dame Cressida Dick.”

Ms Patel said the Government was developing on a new national strategy on tackling violence against women and girls to be published this year, which was informed in part by more than 15,000 responses to a public survey on the subject her department launched last year.

Sarah Everard
Sarah Everard went missing last week (Metropolitan Police/PA)

She said this was “just one part of the action that I am taking to better target perpetrators and support victims and survivors”.

Ms Everard went missing while walking in south London last week. Human remains – which have not yet been identified – were found in an area of woodland in Ashford, in Kent, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph reports the Government is considering instituting a new offence of public sexual harassment to protect women from abuse.

The proposed new law has support from Nimco Ali, the campaigner appointed by Ms Patel to advise the Government on its new strategy to combat sexual violence against women and girls.

Writing in the Telegraph, Ms Ali said loopholes in current law meant women and teenage girls had to suffer explicit sexual and abusive comments from men on streets without police being able to take action.

“Street harassment is absolutely a form of violence towards women and girls and it currently goes unreported and unpunished,” Ms Ali wrote.

“Tolerating behaviour like public harassment only makes it easier for serious crimes of physical and sexual violence to happen.”

Ms Patel told the Daily Express that “every woman should feel safe to walk on our streets without fear of harassment or violence”.

“Many women have shared their stories and concerns online since Sarah’s disappearance last week,” she said.

“These are so powerful because each and every woman can relate.”