THE last time the pair appeared in public, Chief Constable Barry Shaw was on the attack. He bitterly denounced Ray Mallon as "a liar at the head of an evil empire", as one of the most bilious investigations in police history came to a rancorous end.

So incensed was Mr Mallon that he angrily accused Mr Shaw of "quite blatant interference in the democratic process", and fired off a furious letter to Home Secretary David Blunkett demanding a "fair and proper" election be held in Middlesbrough.

But all that was February, and this is September.

Seven months is such a long time in Cleveland that even the most painful memories are forgotten.

And so yesterday, Mr Mallon - all sweetness and light - kindly pulled out a chair for Mr Shaw to sit down in.

Mr Shaw civilly accepted, and the public meeting to discuss policing in Middlesbrough began in the most genteel harmony.

Indeed, they were soon singing from the same hymn sheet as Mr Shaw told the meeting that, like Mr Mallon, he wanted to talk about progress.

"It won't be the first time the mayor and I have shared the same theme," he said, and ironic titters went around the room in Middlesbrough Town Hall.

It felt like watching an episode of Fawlty Towers unfold before your eyes, as councillors taking part were under strict instructions not to mention the . . . Operation Lancet. Mr Shaw and Mr Mallon both alluded to it once, but judging by their wry smiles, they thought they got away with it.

That Operation Lancet has cost anything up to £7m, taken five years and has seen dozens of officers diverted from frontline duties to investigate their colleagues, are other matters the public of Teesside haven't got over quite so quickly.

Mr Shaw told yesterday's meeting that he wanted to rid Middlesbrough of its "Cinderella" image and asked councillors to work with him to promote the town.

But his speech was rather less rousing than Mr Mallon's. In fact, just as the victory was Mr Mallon's in the mayoral election, this was his town hall and his stage.

While behaving perfectly properly, and while still preparing his grand plan for law and order which will be unveiled next month, Mr Mallon took the opportunity to offer his former boss some advice.

He stressed what a good job the force was doing but added that officers needed to be "proactive" and more visible.

"What the public want in a nutshell is a police service that is a service. Police officers getting out of vans and vehicles and intervening," he said. "I want to see a force to be reckoned with. People have got to look at Middlesbrough and see that this town means business."

Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority and another key Lancet player, said afterwards how pleased he was that the meeting had been so "constructive" and "positive".

Town Hall cleaners, though, must have been amazed when they found just how much had been brushed under the carpets.