Orde and Spence in Met chief race

Sir Hugh Orde and Julie Spence are both in the running

Sir Hugh Orde has confirmed he has applied to be the next head of the Metropolitan Police (Met).

The current head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said he wants to be be the next commissioner.

Cambridgeshire Chief Constable Julie Spence, 53, confirmed that she also met the Monday deadline for applications.

The post has become vacant after the resignation of Sir Ian Blair who said he stood down due to political interference from the Mayor of London.

Sir Paul Stephenson has taken temporary charge of the force while the vetting process, expected to take several months, is under way.

If successful, Mrs Spence, who has run the Cambridgeshire force for three years, would become the first woman to head Britain's biggest police force.

Sir Paul Stephenson is in temporary charge

Mrs Spence made national headlines a year ago after saying her force needed more staff and cash to cope with pressures caused by a sudden influx of migrant workers to the region.

Sir Hugh began his career in policing with the Met, joining in 1977, and rose to the rank of deputy assistant commissioner.

In 2002 he was made Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) - one of the most politically-charged jobs in the UK.

It was his task to oversee the massive scale of reforms to the former Royal Ulster Constabulary in an effort to win Catholic and nationalist support - a critical plank of Northern Ireland's peace process.

Before taking up the role, he was responsible for running the day-to-day operations of a hugely controversial probe into allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and security forces.

Terror threat

Sir Hugh's experience at the Met includes managing major crimes and dealing with the fallout from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.

He was awarded an OBE in 2001 and knighted in 2005.

Reducing teenage murders and combating the terror threat are among the challenges facing the new commissioner.

The Home Office will announce a shortlist later this month following which the candidates will be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police Authority.

Mr Johnson and policing advisors will also make recommendations.

Finally Home Secretary Jacqui Smith will interview the candidates before she recommends a name to the Queen.

Sir Ian resigned in October saying he had stood down because of "political interference" from London Mayor Boris Johnson. The mayor dismissed the claim.

In his final interview as Met chief on Friday, Sir Ian warned the law must be changed to prevent another commissioner being forced out by the mayor.