THE man who banned booze from Leyland Festival could be about take a top job with the Met.

Peter Ryan who, until 15 years ago, was in charge of Leyland Police, is being tipped to become the new Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police when Sir Paul Condon steps down in January.

Mr Ryan was at the helm of Leyland Police for a number of years, before leaving in 1983 to join the Met.

In 1996 Mr Ryan, now 55, moved to his present job as Commissioner of the New South Wales Police and has been so successful at ridding the force of corruption that he is now believed to be in line for a move back to England.

The role, as head of the country's largest police force, is one which comes with a guaranteed knighthood and a salary of nearly £140,000. And while he will long be remembered in the Sydney suburbs where he now lives with his wife and two daughters for clearing out force corruption, in Leyland he's best known for banning alcohol from the town's annual festival!

The booze ban was imposed in the wake of trouble at the festival around 20 years ago.

Derek Grimshaw, the present-day president of the festival committee, who has worked on the committee for 30 years, said: "The public bar was scrapped and that's the way it has stayed."

Should he get the top London-based job, Mr Ryan will have some very stiff challenges to face, including a massive reorganisation of the force following the damning Stephen Lawrence Report, which was published earlier this year.

He is one of five officers believed to by vying for the post, and is currently the highest paid civil servant in Australia. The Australian Government had hoped he would oversee the policing of the Sydney Olympics next year.

Suprtintendent Andy Lincoln, of Leyland Police, said Mr Ryan had some radical ideas.

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