The happy couple were snapped enjoying a night on the tiles at the Flax Trust Super Bowl Ball at Belfast's Europa Hotel.

Mother-of-two Ms Weston, dressed in a black, low-cut dress, and the tuxedo-clad top cop, were all smiles for the camera at the annual charity event.

Their public appearance comes just one year after newspaper disclosures that Sir Hugh (49) had a mistress and child - who is now two years old - in the south of England.

Until now Ms Weston's name and face have not been revealed in the Northern Ireland media, over what Scotland Yard described as "serious security concerns."

However, the Chief Constable allowed himself to be openly photographed with his lover, who is also a police officer, at the event last week.

In early 2007, the News of the World published embarrassing details about his three-year extra-marital relationship with the undercover Metropolitan police detective, who had worked on the Stevens Inquiry into collusion.

Although the revelations may have come as a shock, Sir Hugh's wife of 22 years, Kathleen - with whom he has a 22-year-old son, Jonathan - stood by him amid public outcry.

And at the time, Sir Hugh said that his wife and family were "fully aware" of his affair, adding that his family was "supportive" .

Northern Ireland's leading policeman also successfully weathered a storm of criticism from those who questioned his professional integrity, insisting that the affair was a private matter which had no bearing on his ability to do his job.

It also emerged that Sir Hugh had taken part in numerous fun runs with his lover - including the controversial Great North 10k run in Tyneside, in October 2006.

That race coincided with a major memorial service for fallen police officers at Belfast's Waterfront Hall - an event attended by Lady Orde.

The chief constable's absence sparked fury, particularly among members of the Police Federation, when it emerged that he had been running in England with his mistress instead.

Sir Hugh and the 42-year-old divorcee, who also has a seven-year-old daughter, are understood to have met when he was a deputy assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police where she was a detective constable.

Last September, just six months after the revelations about his private life, Sir Hugh admitted his marriage was over. He also said that Lady Orde had left their marital home in Crawfordsburn, Co Down, and moved back to England. Experts say that Sir Hugh is earmarked to take over from Sir Ian Blair, the current boss of the Met, when he steps down.