A decorated Chief Inspector has been awarded £870,000 by the Metropolitan Police after he was hounded out of his job by a female boss who was intent on ridding his squad of a perceived macho culture.

Adrian Denby, 49, ran a tactical unit in Paddington better known as the riot squad when he was singled out by the force's deputy assistant commissioner Maxine de Brunner.

The officer, who won nine commendations and was seconded to Afghanistan to set up the police force, was discriminated against on five separate occasions, an employment tribunal in 2016 ruled.

It followed a crackdown on the perceived macho culture in the Met, which saw Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine De Brunner given the role of driving out discrimination in the service.

But after it was found Mr Denby was unlawfully discriminated against, the Met coughed up the six-figure sum in compensation in a case which has reportedly cost the force £2 million.

He claimed he had been unfairly punished while a female colleague in a similar position was not reprimanded.