Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson will remain in post following his resignation until a replacement is found, the MPS has confirmed.

A spokesman for the Service told PoliceOracle.com that the outgoing senior officer would stay at the helm to facilitate a smooth transition for his successor.

He could not confirm whether this would be Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin.

But it is clear that Sir Paul has been continuing to put his officers first, visiting two PCs injured on duty immediately after announcing his resignation.

He arrived hospital to check on the well-being of one officer who was shot in the arm in Croydon and another who was the victim of an alleged assault in Walworth.

In his resignation statement, Sir Paul said that the ongoing controversy had overshadowed the bravery shown by officers in pursuit of officers on duty.

Sir Paul added: "The recent example of the heroism and bravery of Met officers in chasing armed suspects, involving the shooting of one of my officers, is typical – but is in danger of being eclipsed by the ongoing debate about relationships between senior officers and the media. This can never be right.

"I will miss many things, but most of all it will be the overwhelming majority of honest, hard working professionals who it has been such a great pleasure to lead."

Sir Paul stressed that had no doubts about his personal integrity, asserting his conduct would be cleared during the public inquiry into phone hacking.

But with the onset of the Olympics, he highlighted that there could be no room for the public to have any doubts in the integrity of the Commissioner.

Sir Paul told reporters: "Let me state clearly, I and the people who know me know that my integrity is completely intact. I may wish we had done some things differently, but I will not lose sleep over my personal integrity.

"This is not a 12 months that can afford any doubts about the Commissioner of the Met. I have seen at first hand the distractions for this organisation when the story becomes about the leaders as opposed to what we do as a service.

"I was clear I would never allow that. We cannot afford this – not this year."