A NORTH-EAST detective has been sacked more than five years after he was suspended from his job.

Sean Allen was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing in the wake of the multi- million pound, long-running Operation Lancet inquiry into allegations of malpractice against members of Cleveland Police.

The five-year investigation ended with no criminal charges being brought against a single officer, but triggered a string of internal disciplinary hearings.

Mr Allen, who was a detective constable with the Cleveland force, was - along with the since sacked Detective Constable Brendon Whitehead - the first to be suspended under Lancet, in October 1997, for allegedly exchanging drugs for criminal intelligence.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that, following a disciplinary hearing, a police constable was found guilty of five charges of discreditable conduct and three charges of falsehood or prevarication, and was dismissed forthwith on all charges. On a further charge of drinking on duty, he was found guilty and reprimanded."

It is understood Mr Allen is considering an appeal.

Another officer suspended by Lancet, Detective Constable Andy Shephard, has been found not guilty of charges of discreditable conduct, falsehood or prevarication, and abuse of authority.

He is expected to be reinstated, possibly working out of his old squad room at Middlesbrough police station.

Following the suspension of Whitehead and Allen in October 1997, the former Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon - now the mayor of Middlesbrough - was suspended from duty as head of Middlesbrough CID in the December of the same year for "alleged activity that could be construed as criminal".

He was cleared of criminal wrongdoing in June 2000, but remained suspended until earlier this year when he was "required to resign".

Eight officers were suspend-ed under Lancet's terms and a total of 571 statutory notices covering both criminal and disciplinary allegations were issued to 61 police officers.