A custody sergeant has become the fifth Metropolitan Police staff member to die from Covid-19 in recent weeks.

It comes after the deaths of three police constables and a traffic police community officer since January 11.

The custody sergeant from Met Detention, who has not been named, passed away in the last 24 hours.

Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said the force is “deeply saddened” by the news, saying it shows “policing is not immune”.

A Met statement said Camden Pc John Fabrizi died on Sunday, just under a week after the death of his colleague Pc Michael Warren from the territorial support group (TSG) on January 19.

Camden Police said on Twitter that Pc Fabrizi was “much loved” and did “so much good in one lifetime”.

Pc Michael Warren, 37, joined the Met in 2005 and had served as a TSG officer for the last four years.

He was classed as “vulnerable” and had been shielding at home, working remotely to help his team, the Met said.

Traffic police community support officer Chris Barkshire died on January 11 while Pc Sukh Singh from the Met’s forensic command died on Monday.

Ms Dick said: “I’m deeply saddened by the news that in recent days and weeks Covid has taken five of our colleagues from us.

“Policing is a family and the scale of our loss is truly shocking. My deepest condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of Police Constable John Fabrizi, Police Constable Michael Warren, Traffic Police Community Support Officer Chris Barkshire, Police Constable Sukh Singh and our colleague from Met Detention, who will be named soon.”

She also spoke about three other colleagues who died with coronavirus last year, describing the “devastating impact” the pandemic has had on the country.

She added: “As this recent awful news shows, policing is not immune and it is inevitable that our officers and staff in fighting crime, responding to emergencies, and just in living within their communities will come into contact with the virus.

“Police officers and many of our staff cannot fight crime or protect the vulnerable by working at home.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the news as “deeply upsetting”.

He added: “Our hardworking and dedicated police officers and staff have been on the frontline throughout this pandemic, and I know Londoners will join me in paying tribute to them and offering our support to the Met police family who will be grieving at this difficult and challenging time.

“It’s crucial our key workers, including our emergency services, get the vaccine as swiftly as possible, and I’ll continue to do everything I can to put pressure on the Government to speed up the rollout so we can protect those who serve to protect us.”