Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde’s bid to become the UK’s most senior policeman will see him go head-to-head with a former RUC officer.

Yesterday it emerged Northern Ireland’s police chief and acting Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson had emerged |as the front runners for the £253,622-a-year-role, after the four-person shortlist had been whittled down to two.

The original line-up had included Sir Paul Scott-Lee, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police and Bernard Hogan-Howe, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. However, the Metropolitan Police Authority selection panel decided on Sir Hugh and the acting Commissioner.

Sir Paul, who took on the acting Commissioner role when Sir Ian Blair retired as Commissioner in December 2008, joined Lancashire Constabulary in 1975.

Following a number of years in the force, he moved to Northern Ireland to take up a superintendent’s role in the former Royal Ulster Constabulary in the 1990s.

He quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside Police before moving to Lancashire as Deputy Chief Constable in May 1999. He became Chief Constable of the force in 2002.

He served there for three years and was considering leaving policing when the job of Deputy Commissioner under Sir Ian came up.

He was considered the favourite for the top job and if history is anything to go by, he may well end up with the post. The last two commissioners both moved up from the number two post.

However, after news broke of his involvement in the Damian Green affair, bookies Paddy Power saw his odds drift to 9/2, putting Sir Hugh as slight favourite.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be announced next week.