Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates followed his boss out of the door today after Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson announced his resignation on Sunday evening at a hastily assembled press conference at Scotland Yard.

Mr Stephenson was facing increasing pressure over his employment of former News of the World assistant editor Neil Wallis as a paid adviser and also for accepting a freebie stay at a spa resort owned by a firm which also employed Mr Wallis.

Green Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) member Jenny Jones said: "I said last Wednesday that Stephenson's position was untenable and he should resign, but I was surprised. Usually people in that position hang on like grim death.

"He has done the decent thing."

Regarding a possible successor for the role of commissioner, she said: "Obviously the relationship between the Met and News International has been far too cosy. The job for the next commissioner will be to clean up shop.

"Sir Paul was too rigid and inflexible. His successor has to have as unblemished a record as possible and must have a very good sense of judgement."

She said she did not believe Sir Paul was corrupt but that he had shown "very poor judgement."

Mr Yates fell on his sword after initially bullishly defending his position.

It is believed he took the decision to quit after the MPA decided he should be suspended from duty.

His role, as head of counterterrorism, will now be filled by Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.

Ms Dick was in charge of the botched counter-terror operation which led to the execution by armed police of the innocent Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005.

The departure of London's two most senior officers raised serious questions about the handling of the situation by London Mayor and MPA chairman Boris Johnson and his deputy with responsibility for policing Kit Malthouse.

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone said: "Under Boris Johnson the situation has been allowed to get out of control. This is the second commissioner to leave prematurely on his watch.

"He smeared the Guardian's original phone-hacking reports last year as 'codswallop cooked up by the Labour Party' and a 'song and dance about nothing.'

"His policing deputy claimed he and Johnson had their 'hands on the tiller' of the Met but one month later Neil Wallis was appointed. Johnson refused to back calls for Rebekah Brooks's resignation, a bad judgement call made worse since her resignation and arrest."

Mr Livingstone said the mayor needed to "urgently reshuffle" City Hall and that Mr Malthouse "who he has relied on throughout this chaotic period, must be moved. We need a new start."