COPS who fail vetting checks will be booted out of the police automatically from next month.
The Home Office confirmed that passing background inspections will be a legal requirement from May 14.
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It follows outrage over cops with serious allegations, such as domestic and sexual abuse, remaining in their posts because forces lack the powers to sack them.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is simply not acceptable that officers clearly unfit to serve or who pose a risk to colleagues cannot be removed.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council backed the measures.
Officers can fail vetting for a range of reasons, such as criminal behaviour, financial concerns or serious misconduct allegations.
Further measures this year will include automatic gross misconduct findings for officers convicted of serious crimes.
There will also be tougher measures to suspend those under investigation for violence against women and girls.
It comes after an independent review into the murder of Sarah Everard by cop Wayne Couzens called for an overhaul of police vetting.
The former Met Police constable became the first ever British cop to be given the harshest sentence a judge can impose as he was jailed for his crimes.
In September 2021, Couzens was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole-life order.
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