Former Met police commissioner Ian Blair dies aged 72 | Ian Blair

Ian Blair, who as commissioner of the Metropolitan police led the force through some of its most tumultuous and troubled times, has died aged 72.

Blair was the first commissioner in more than 100 years to resign from his office and was hailed by the current Met commissioner as “one of the most influential police leaders of recent decades”.

Blair came into post as Met commissioner in February 2005 with a mission and government backing to reform Britain’s largest force.

But his reign as Britain’s top officer was thrown off course by the worst terrorist attacks ever to hit the country in July 2005.

The 7 July suicide bomb attacks killed 52 people, and was followed a fortnight later by the shooting dead of an innocent man mistaken by police for a terrorist who had tried to attack