STRONG competition is expected between senior police officers in Britain and Northern Ireland to succeed the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Annesley, who has announced that he will retire in November.
His successor will be appointed by the Police Authority, which will advertise the post shortly.
Sir Hugh came from the Metropolitan police force and several senior officers in Britain are believed to be interested in the £85,000 sterling job.
The local front runners are the Deputy Chief Constable (Operations), Mr Ronnie Flanagan, and the DCC (Support Service), Mr Blair Wallace.
Mr Flanagan (46) has previously been an assistant chief constable for both Belfast and the Special Branch. He is familiar to the media and public, and is regarded as one of the more liberal and flexible senior RUC officers.
Mr Wallace (59) has been 40 years in the force and is one of its most experienced officers.
Sir Hugh (56) yesterday announced his retirement after seven years in the job and said that a "fresh pair of hands" was needed to guide the force into the next century.
It is believed he will be leaving policing altogether. He said that he had intended to step down from the RUC after five years but decided to prolong his stay when it became apparent in mid 1994 that the IRA and loyalist ceasefires were imminent. He had wanted to remain to steer the force through a difficult period.
Sir Hugh said he did not know if the IRA would reinstate its ceasefire before all party talks begin on June 10th. Indeed, he was not sure if the Provisionals themselves knew.
"If they have any sense and if they are looking to the future, they will call the ceasefire that everybody else is demanding of them. If they do not they will remain on the outside looking in," he said.
Sir Hugh described the RUC as an outstanding police service. "Courageous, adaptable and committed, it has made a huge contribution to the stability of this province and to the well being of all who reside here," he said.
The RUC had "suffered so agonisingly and valiantly, endured abnormal conditions far beyond the ordinary call of policing," he added
"I have no doubt that the RUC has the professional ability and inherent adaptability to provide a flexible, responsive and sensitive policing service to this community whatever challenges the future may bring."
The Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, said that the RUC was "losing a fine police leader of international standing who has tirelessly served Northern Ireland in good times and bad."
The SDLP councillor, Mr Alex Attwood, said that while Sir Hugh was a breath of fresh air, the winds of change had yet to blow through the RUC.
The Sinn Fein justice spokesman, Mr Barry McElduff, said that Sir Hugh would not be missed. "His retirement and RUC disbandment couldn't come soon enough for nationalists," he added.
The Alliance chairman, Mr Steve McBride, said that Sir Hugh's successor would have a very important role in shaping the emergence of a new kind of policing service for Northern Ireland.
The Police Authority chairman, Mr Pat Armstrong, said Sir Hugh had led the RUC with "great distinction and professionalism during a difficult period".
He acknowledged that in the authority there had been differences of opinion between the authority and Sir Hugh, but said that a cosy relationship would not have been in the public interest.