THE Government has vowed to make sure “the vetting net is as tight as possible” for police officers following the murder of Sarah Everard.

The marketing executive - who grew up in York - was kidnapped, raped and murdered by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2020.

Now, an independent inquiry is set to examine the case of Ms Everard - and could also consider wider issues across policing.

Conservative MP Laura Farris (Newbury) told Parliament on Wednesday that over 600 members of the police had been subject to allegations of sexual misconduct since 2018.

She added: "But most worryingly nearly 10 per cent of those have left the force before the disciplinary proceedings had concluded.

“That will raise in the public’s mind a very real worry that those people who don’t have a black mark on their disciplinary record could rejoin an alternative force at a later date.”

She asked the Home Office minister Kit Malthouse what steps he and the Government is taking to ensure “that those who are accused are not able to leave the force and then rejoin”.

The minister said: “We did bring about reforms in order to produce a police barred list, which is there precisely to stop police officers who are convicted of offences or disciplinary matters from rejoining the police.

“She raises a good issue that should in theory, when a police officer, as my right honourable friend referred to, rejoin the police, come up on their vetting report. But as part of our inquiries we will have to make sure that the processes are in place that detect exactly the kind of information that she is looking for.

“Our job, following this dreadful event, the killing of Sarah Everard, is to make sure that the vetting net is as tight as possible. And these are exactly the sort of areas that we will need to explore.”

It came after the Government said the inquiry could be given greater powers if its chair feels people are not co-operating with it.

Shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones pressed for the inquiry to be on a statutory footing to ensure it can compel witnesses to testify and demand documents, as part of work to help “rebuild the trust and confidence” of women and girls in police.

The inquiry will examine the case of Ms Everard, who was murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, and could also consider wider issues across policing.

Home Office minister Kit Malthouse told the Commons: “A statutory inquiry is a very long-winded affair to set up and a non-statutory inquiry can be much quicker.

“It is an offence or contrary to regulations for a police officer, since a change in the law recently, not to co-operate with such an inquiry – whether it’s statutory or otherwise – and they would be subject to disciplinary proceedings if they did not cooperate.

“Having said that, if the chair of the inquiry feels he or she is not getting the co-operation or information that they need we have reserved the right to convert the inquiry into a statutory one if the need is felt.”