SHAMED police chief Kevin Pitt has taken the first steps towards clearing his name in the Lithuanian courts.

The former chief superintendent was forced to resign from Cleveland police after being convicted of urinating against the Lithuanian presidential palace.

But he has continued to maintain his innocence and, earlier this year, broke his silence to call for an apology from his former bosses.

Stockton North MP Frank Cook has confirmed that Mr Pitt is in the process of identifying a legal team in the fight to clear his name.

Mr Pitt hopes to be able to lodge an appeal in the Lithuanian courts with the aim of overturning his conviction.

A comprehensive file in support of his case has already been passed to the chairman of the Lithuanian Government's foreign affairs committee by Mr Cook.

Mr Cook said: "I am doing my very best to resolve this for Kevin with the limited resources I have at my disposal."

Cleveland police has denied claims from Mr Pitt that it tried to pressurise him into resigning.

The force said that it would be happy to co-operate with the former police chief in any action he chooses to pursue in Lithuania.

Mr Pitt was helping teach anti-corruption techniques to Government departments in Lithuania when, during a trip in February last year, he and colleague Inspector Kerry Anderson were captured on closed-circuit television apparently urinating against the palace wall.

Both men were arrested, but Insp Anderson was released without charge.

He was later fined five days' wages by Cleveland police after admitting conduct likely to bring discredit to the force.