Six frontrunners for the top job

Sir Paul recently hit the headlines by calling on embattled assistant commissioner Tariq Ghaffur to "shut up and get on with his job". Top-level career started on Merseyside in 1994 where he was assistant chief constable. Joined Lancashire in 1975 and returned as deputy chief constable in 1999 to take responsibility for operations and operational support before being promoted to the top job in 2002, where he presided over record falls in burglary and rising police numbers. Appointed to his current role in 2005 and this June received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Sir Hugh Orde - chief constable in Northern Ireland

Sir Hugh has agreed to stay where he is until 2010, co-incidentally when Sir Ian's contract expires. Started his career at the Met in 1977 and rose up the ranks in posts in south London. The 50-year-old played a role in the Stephen Lawrence inquiry and as deputy assistant commissioner was involved in the Stevens Report into government collusion in sectarian murders in Northern Ireland. Knighted in 2001, he took the top job in Ulster in 2002.

Bernard Hogan-Howe - chief constable at Merseyside

Known for a no-nonsense approach which has led to his force reporting the largest fall in crime for two years running. Teenage killings on his watch, which began in 2004, remain in single figures and the 50-year-old is an advocate of zero tolerance. Airport-style knife arches are deployed every weekend in Liverpool and police have seized more than £11m in criminal assets in the last two years. Outspoken Hohan-Howe has criticised judges for handing out soft penalties for gun crime and has also called for higher taxes on alcohol to curb youth drinking. He joined the force in 1979 and has since earned an MA in Law from Oxford.

Stephen House - chief constable at Strathclyde

House joined the Met in 2001 as deputy assistant commissioner, working in policy review and territorial policing. The 50-year-old Scot was promoted in 2005 and a year later took command of the specialist crime directorate, whose wide remit includes homicide, organised crime, intelligence and covert policing, child abuse, drugs and gun crime. House identified terrorism as a major threat to Scotland around the 2014 Glasgow commonwealth games. He has recently won plaudits for leading a crackdown on youth street gangs.

Mike Fuller - chief constable at Kent

Fuller is in the headlines today for claiming serious criminals are avoiding jail due to overcrowded prisons. Became first black chief constable in the UK when he took the Kent job in 2004. Joined the Met in 1975 as a cadet and went on to serve in Special Branch and CID on his way to deputy assistant commissioner. Fuller formed Operation Trident, which targets black gun crime, and was founding chair of the Black Police Association. Holds several degrees and is a non-practising barrister.

Sir Norman Bettison - West Yorkshire police

Sir Norman showed he is not afraid to get his hands dirty when he last week arrested a drunken youth and chased off an armed gang after an incident was radioed to a group of officers he was visiting. The straight talker has also slammed the "health and safety Taliban" preventing police from doing their work. The 52-year-old joined the force in 1975 and retired in 2005 after heading Merseyside police for seven years to become chief executive of Centrex, a private police training firm. Sir Norman rejoined in 2007 as chief constable of West Yorkshire police. A claim for both his Merseyside pension and new salary was settled out of court.