Thornton is said to be the early favourite. She is the chief constable of Thames Valley force, which covers constituencies of British Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May.
Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, she is independent and will keep her distance from senior politicians and the media; she was at the Metropolitan Police from 1986 to 2000, the Daily Express reported.
Sir Paul resigned as Metropolitan Police Commissioner on Sunday, following the phone hacking scandal, involving the News of the World tabloid. He was criticised for hiring the tabloid’s former deputy editor Neil Wallis, allegedly involved in the scandal, as an adviser.
Sir Paul, however, insisted he had no knowledge of the extent of the phone hacking.
Published 19 July 2011, 17:34 IST