The new Metropolitan Police commissioner wants his commanders to leave the police and work as senior managers in industry and commerce to improve their skills.

Officers would surrender their warrant cards for up to five years in outside life, says Sir Ian Blair.

Sir Ian told the Times: "I am not talking 'secondment'. They would work somewhere else and get completely differrent experience and come back.

"Surely the gain of coming back if you have run a major hospital or you have been the operational manager in some major factory would be interesting. That would mean us getting another set of skills."

Blair also told the Sun that prison ships are an option for coping with violent offenders.