PM calls for foreign police to take top jobs

David Cameron has suggested that foreign police chiefs could be brought in to help drive out corruption and complacency.

Mr Cameron said the rule that now bars senior officers from abroad from being allowed to take up senior posts in the British forces could be dropped.

"At the moment the police system is too closed," he told MPs. "There are too few, and arguably too similar, candidates for the top jobs. I want to see radical proposals for how we can open up our police force and bring in fresh leadership."

The comments were made as confidence in the police fell amid concerns they had failed to investigate hacking allegations properly, were too close to media organisations, and that they sold information to journalists.