AN ex-police chief has denied he carried out a “deeply flawed and one-sided” investigation into a council officer who claims she was victimised and forced out of a job.

David Grey, a former detective chief superintendent and head of CID at Durham Police, was employed by Durham County Council to gather evidence on Christina Blythe after she was suspended as head of its youth engagement service.

Mr Grey’s report was used as the basis for disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Blythe, who was eventually fired in January 2008 from her £66,000-a-year job after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

Yesterday, at an employment tribunal in Newcastle, Mrs Blythe’s barrister, Edward Legard, suggested that Mr Grey had constructed his case “out of sand” and said much of it was based on historic, minor issues along with comment, innuendo and opinions from work colleagues.

He also described it as a “fishing expedition” and “deeply flawed and one sided”.

Mr Grey, whose company Broadsword Consultants advises organisations on issues of fraud, corruption and misconduct, denied this and said his investigation was conducted in the most balanced way possible.

He said: “It was a reasonable investigation, done to the best of my ability.”

Mr Grey said he had maintained an unbiased position and said it was not his job to determine whether Mrs Blythe faced a disciplinary hearing, but to collect evidence and make recommendations to the council. Mr Legard also put it to Mr Grey that the manner in which he had interviewed Mrs Blythe was oppressive and had made her ill.

Mr Grey said he believed a meeting between the pair had been handled amicably and said they had also lunched together.

He also said he did not consider it necessary to get further medical evidence about Mrs Blythe despite her suffering from a serious diabetic condition.

Mr Legard said that Mr Grey had formed the opinion that Mrs Blythe was a liar based on an “entirely flawed” report prepared for the council by Christine Pratt, who was recently at the centre of a row over bullying claims involving Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Mrs Pratt, who ran a consultancy known as HR and Diversity Management, said Mrs Blythe had a tendancy to take the words of others and put her own spin on them.

Mr Grey said he took cognizance of the report as it was relevant, and said it appeared at times that Mrs Blythe was not telling the truth.

Mrs Blythe, of Durham City, who is a former deputy headteacher at King James Community Arts College, in Bishop Auckland, claims she was unfairly dismissed by the council, discriminated against and bullied by her former boss, David Williams, the director of children and young people’s services.

The tribunal draws to a close over the next few days with the panel expected to reserve its judgement.