Who will take over from Sir Hugh?

Sir Ken Jones has been tipped for both the PSNI job, and one in Australia

Could the out-going president of the Association of Chief Police Officers swap jobs with Sir Hugh Orde?

There is speculation Sir Ken Jones, a former chief constable of Sussex Police, could be one of the contenders for the top post at the PSNI.

Like Sir Hugh, the police service was not Sir Ken's first choice as a career.

He trained as an engineer before joining the police in south Yorkshire. As well as being tipped to get the PSNI job, there is also speculation Sir Ken will take up a role in the Australian police

He has been named as a contender alongside John Yates, a 50-year-old assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard who has just been appointed as the Metropolitan Police's head of anti-terror.

John Yates is the best-known of the possible contenders for the job

Mr Yates was known in the media as 'Yates of the Yard' as he conducted the cash-for-honours investigation in 2006.

The investigation focused on allegations that peerages had been offered in return for loans to Labour and the Conservatives ahead of the 2005 general election.

One potential candidate who could emerge as a front runner is Leicestershire Constabulary chief Matt Baggott, who last month narrowly missed out on becoming head of the West Midlands police.

Mr Baggott is a strong advocate of the type of community-style policing favoured by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, the PSNI's independent scrutiny body which will ultimately select Sir Hugh's replacement.

Sir Hugh, who was announced as the new president of Acpo on Thursday, said he hoped chiefs from other UK forces would put their name forward.

Matt Baggott just missed out on becoming head of West Midlands police

"My advice to anyone applying for any chief officer's job anywhere is only apply for jobs where you really think you can make a difference.

"There are many officers out there, highly qualified officers who could make a huge difference to policing in Northern Ireland."

The criteria for the job of PSNI chief constable states that the successful candidate must have served at least two years at assistant chief constable level or an equivalent post in a police service outside Northern Ireland.

None of the senior PSNI team meet that criteria so whoever gets the job he, or she, will not be a serving PSNI officer.