Sir Ian, 64, will manage the relationship with all key security stakeholders including the Home Office’s Olympic Security Directorate.

He will contribute to the Government’s Olympic security strategy which embraces the security work of all agencies, involved including London 2012.

Sir Ian will take forward the strategic development of the London 2012  in-venue security planning and ensure that all plans are fully integrated with other functional areas including workforce, accreditation, ticketing, transport, and command and control as well as wider Government security planning.

Additionally he will work closely with stakeholders to ensure an integrated resilience plan for the Games including information security risks.

During the Olympics and Paralympics he will have responsibility for overseeing in-venue security operations at competition and non-competition venues including perimeter security, Villages security, field of play security, transport security, and emergency management response.

He is due to start his new role at the end of next month.

Sir Ian said: "The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are a massive opportunity to showcase London and the UK.

"Security is a vital part of ensuring we host a spectacular and successful event and I am very much looking forward to playing my part in meeting that challenge."

He has been Chief Constable of British Transport Police for the last eight years, where his biggest challenge was the terrorist attack on London on July 7, 2005, the day after the capital was awarded the 2012 Games.

Four bombs exploded within an hour of each other on the Underground and bus system, killing 56 people and injuring more than 700.

Sir Ian joined the Metropolitan Police in 1965 and has held senior positions within the force, as well as with Kent Constabulary between 1989 and 1992 where he was Assistant Chief Constable before returning to Scotland Yard as Deputy Assistant Commissioner.

In 1998 he was was chosen by the Metropolitan Police to make its formal apology for the handling of the investigation into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence that led to the publication of the controversial MacPherson Report, which labelled London's police force "institutionally racist".

In December 2007 there was criticism after it was revealed he was earning between £190,000 and £195,000 as Chief Constable while also being able to draw an annual pension of £70,000, two thirds of the salary for an Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard when he stepped down.

Sir Ian has also been the Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on crime for the last five years.

He is currently chairman of the Police Sport UK Cycling Committee and a trustee of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Sir Ian has served on various Government working parties over the years, including the Youth Justice Task Force and more recently was a member of the Home Secretary’s working party on crime statistics.

He was knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2009.

He is married with two sons.

In his spare time he enjoys jogging and is chairman of a boys’ football club in Orpington.