North Yorkshire Police has made a series of pledges as it bids to restore trust in policing.

The county force is responding to the Angiolini Inquiry into how off-duty Met police officer Wayne Couzens was able to abduct, rape and murder former Fulford School student Sarah Everard.

The pledges include how its police officers are treated within the force, how they will be expected to behave, and how they respond to sexual offences traditionally seen as less serious.

In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said: “In police circles we often hear it said that Wayne Couzens wasn't one of us.

“The reality is that he was. He swore an oath. He wore the uniform. And he was warranted with police powers.

"We cannot change what has gone before but our focus must be on ensuring anyone who is not committed to operating at the highest standards of police conduct has no place in North Yorkshire Police.

“This means we need to apply robust vetting, cultivate an upstander culture and be transparent and accountable to the public in everything that we do.

“Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. We need to be working to gain the trust of the public in everything that we do every day, drop by drop.”

Police face lights held by people at a vigil for Sarah EverardPolice face lights held by people at a vigil for Sarah Everard

Lady Elish Angiolini made a series of recommendations in her first report into the failings of Kent Police, the Metropolitan Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Couzens worked for all three. He is now serving a life sentence without parole and was sacked from the Met Police.

North Yorkshire Police has pledged to treat indecent exposure, voyeurism, upskirting, abuse involving pictures or videos and other non-contact sexual offences as seriously as sexual assaults or rape.

Kent Police failed to deal with an incident when Couzens indecently exposed himself to a woman six years before he killed Sarah.

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North Yorkshire Police has pledged to hold its officers to a “higher standard of behaviour” than the public and to start a “cultural change programme” to tackle sexist, misogynistic and racist language and behaviour in its workplace.

Two officers in the same unit as Couzens were convicted and jailed for sharing racist, sexist, misogynistic and other offensive messages with him on WhatsApp.

North Yorkshire Police said it has increased resources for its professional standards department and encouraged staff to report sexual and other abuse by work colleagues.