Dame Cressida Dick has announced that she would step down from the role of Metropolitan Police commissioner after losing the backing of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

How will her successor be chosen?

The decision is made by the home secretary, currently Priti Patel, but the mayor’s views should be taken into account.

The Met Police website says: “Both have a role in appointing the commissioner, with the decision taken by the home secretary following consultation with the mayor.”

It is understood that the successful candidate is then formally appointed by the Queen.

The prime minister is believed to have no formal role.

What happens until a successor is chosen?

It has been agreed that Dame Cressida will continue in the role for a short time, to enable an orderly handover.

It has not been confirmed how long this period will be.

Who are the contenders?

Neil Basu is an assistant commissioner who previously worked as head of counter-terrorism.

He is seen as capable, popular among his officers, and would be the first minority ethnic commissioner.

In 2019 he told The Guardian that someone using the racially offensive comments Prime Minister Boris Johnson has in the past, would not be allowed to join the police.

Such comments could be detrimental to his chances.

Lucy D’Orsi is chief constable of the British Transport Police, and was previously a senior officer at the Met Police.

She was in charge of the police response to the Beaufort Park fire in 2006 and she oversaw security during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s 2015 visit to the UK.

She would be the second woman to become Met Police commissioner.

Matt Jukes is an assistant Met Police commissioner working as head of counter-terrorism.

He first joined South Yorkshire Police before moving to South Wales Police, where he became chief constable.

Nick Ephgrave is an assistant commissioner for frontline policing at the Met Police, a position he has held since 2019.

He began his career in the Met but became chief constable of Surrey Police in late 2015.

Sir Stephen House is deputy commissioner of the Met Police, a position he was promoted to in 2018.

He was appointed chief constable of Police Scotland in 2012 but was criticised here for his use of armed patrols and use of stop and search powers.

He resigned in 2015 over the deaths of Lamara Bell and John Yuill, who lay undiscovered in a wrecked car for three days despite a call from a member of the public.

He was re-hired three years later after a spell in the private sector.