The Government has unveiled a radical shake-up of police recruitment rules today, which will include allowing new starters to skip the compulsory two years on the beat and foreign police chiefs to run British forces for the first time.
An overhaul of police recruitment rules will allow access "to the best pool of talent and "attract the brightest", the Policing Minister said in a written statement.
The current rules mean that all officers must enter at constable rank and do two years on the beat.
The changes could see military officers and business leaders recruited at superintendent level.
Damian Green said the shake-up could introduce "fresh thinking" into the police from other sectors.
Rain will push into the northwest, turning heavy and persistent in places
Thousands of dangerous appliances are still in use across the UK despite years of warnings about the dangers.
The US Navy says 10 sailors are missing and five are injured after the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant ship near Singapore