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Ulster chief wants to leave terror front line
Justin Davenport10.03.09
Sir Hugh Orde, the Northern Ireland police chief, is one of Britain's most respected police leaders and recently narrowly failed to become Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Appointed Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in May 2002, he has led the force at a time of huge upheaval in Northern Irish politics. He has built a modern police force out of the former Royal Ulster Constabulary while treading a tightrope between both sides of the sectarian divide.
However, Sir Hugh, 50, is known to want a return to Britain and is a front-runner to become president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, an announcement that could be confirmed this week.
Now there will be pressure for Sir Hugh to stay to deal with the three killings. His deputy is also leaving the force and the police service will have to look outside Northern Ireland for their next chief if he goes by the summer.
Sir Hugh joined the Met as a 19-year-old constable in 1977 and walked the beat in the West End in his first few years. On promotion to sergeant he moved to Brixton and rose to head major crime investigation in south London.
As Deputy Assistant Commissioner in October 1999 he was given responsibility for the John Stevens inquiry into collusion and the murder of a prominent solicitor in Northern Ireland.
He was knighted in 2005.
