An internet entrepreneur and a former policeman are fighting to be Alan Sugar's apprentice.

Clapham internet entrepreneur Simon Ambrose and former policeman Ifti Chaudhri from Egham have quit their jobs to take on 14 others for the Apprentice title.

Simon speaks six languages and was laid off from his last job as an investment banker.

Since then he has tried his hand at a number of internet business ideas.

He says he will stop at nothing to get what he wants - he once booked a table for 10 at a top celebrity restaurant by posing as a Manchester United football agent.

He is desperate to work for the Amstrad founder Sir Alan.

"My Dad bought me an Amstrad PC when I was six and I learned how to program it," Simon said.

"I still have it. It will be a dream come true if I end up working for him."

Martial arts expert Ifti says if you can break bricks with your bare hands, you can do anything.

A former Surrey police officer, Ifti, 33, built his tile business from scratch, starting with just half a tile and believes that as a salesman, no one can match him.

He has a martial arts black belt and was a double bronze medallist at the 1993 Tae Kwon Do World Championships.

"When you can break bricks with your hands you believe in your head you can do anything and in business I take on the same ethic," Ifti said.

The Apprentice starts its 12-week run on BBC One, from Wednesday March 28 at 9pm.

More than 10,000 hopefuls applied to join the third series of the show.

Contenders are aged between 22 and 36 and include a quantum physicist, a car salesman, an ex-army officer, three high-flying single mothers, a global brand consultant, a former air traffic controller, a financial adviser and a bankrupted entrepreneur.

Weekly challenges include selling British farm produce at a French farmers' market, design accessories for dogs, create a new brand of trainers, sell art photography at a trendy gallery and produce sweets to sell at London Zoo.

Sir Alan said: "I am looking for someone who is drop dead shrewd, but this is the job interview from hell."