Britain’s biggest police force has referred its former boss to the Independent Office for Police Conduct tonight – after an investigation by this programme heard allegations that he described the “bulk” of rape complaints as “regretful sex”.

Sir Stephen House is alleged to have made the comments in a meeting here at Scotland Yard last year. Tonight he emphatically denied the allegations, and welcomed an investigation.

The claims are made by Professor Betsy Stanko, an academic brought in by the Home Office to review police failings in rape cases.

The chief constable overseeing that review told us policing has a problem with institutional misogyny, but said things were changing.

Former Acting Met boss investigated over alleged comments many rape complaints were “regretful sex”