A new national police force is to be created in the UK to take over investigations into terrorism, fraud and gangs.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the new National Police Service, also dubbed the "British FBI", would use "world-class talent and cutting-edge technology to track and catch dangerous criminals".
The new service would effectively merge the work of existing agencies such as the National Crime Agency and regional organised crime units into one organisation, buying new technology such as facial recognition to be used across all forces.
Shabana Mahmood told BBC The BBC has said policing is stuck in a "different century" and the new body will be part of a series of police reforms she will unveil on Monday.
The National Police Service will cover England and Wales, but could also operate in other parts of the UK - Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It will be led by a national police commissioner, who will become the country's highest-ranking police chief.
The Home Office said local police officers were "burdened" by with tackling serious crime without adequate training, leaving them unable to deal with everyday offences such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
Intelligence and resources will now be shared between different forces in stages to ensure people receive the same level of security, “no matter where they live”, the Home Office said in a statement.
While the government claims facial recognition has led to a rapid reduction in crime - with up to 1,700 arrests reported in the past two years - campaigners have raised concerns about potential issues of prejudice and privacy.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the leader of "Reform UK" Nigel Farage attended the World Economic Forum in Davos with a pass provided to him by the family office of Iranian billionaire Sasan Ghandehari, who claims the British politician has been consulting his company since 2018, the Financial Times has revealed.
Nigel Farage, who has criticized the big event as “detached from reality,” is listed on the World Economic Forum’s list of attendees as being connected to Ghandehari’s HP Trust, the paper said.
Ghandehari also paid for Farage’s Davos hotel expenses.
HP Trust has made a late request to the World Economic Forum for Farage to join its delegation in Switzerland as an advisor to the firm, which is one of the sponsors of the annual Davos meeting, according to people familiar with the matter.
The little-known company, which claims to have a portfolio of assets worth $10 billion, has told the World Economic Forum that Farage has been an advisor for the past eight years, sources told the Financial Times.
Farage has yet to declare such a role in the register of interests of British MPs. MPs are required to list all significant official or unofficial unpaid roles within 28 days.
A lawyer for Gandehari said Farage was attending as an “honorary and unpaid advisor”. Gandehari covered the costs of Farage’s travel and accommodation, the lawyer added. A spokesman for Farage said HP Trust had provided him with a delegate pass but “categorically denies that Nigel Farage has ever been an advisor to the company.” The World Economic Forum declined to comment to the Financial Times.