A CONTRACT killer who accused Ray Mallon of forcing him to sell drugs was yesterday jailed for life after being found guilty of murder.

Paul Bryan, 41, originally from Eston, near Middlesbrough, received two life sentences for gunning down former professional rugby player David Nelson and his friend, Joseph Montgomery, in a Leeds pub last year.

Earlier this month - on the day before Mr Mallon was declared Mayor of Middlesbrough - Bryan claimed at Leeds Crown Court that the former detective had ordered him to sell drugs before pocketing the profits.

He also claimed the zero tolerance pioneer was "evil" and had threatened to plant a shotgun in his home if he did not "grass" on another man.

Last night, Mr Mallon, whose response to the claims could not be published while the trial was ongoing for fear of influencing the jury, said Bryan's allegations were "ludicrous".

He said Bryan's tactics were a legacy of the controversial Operation Lancet investigation, which ended without a single charge being brought against 61 officers.

"Lancet granted immunity to criminals in exchange for allegations against hardworking detectives," he said.

"Of course all these allegations were groundless and were thrown out by the Crown Prosecution Service, but the legacy lives on."

But critics of Mr Mallon said Bryan's allegations were serious enough to justify a fresh investigation into his activities while head of Middlesbrough CID.

Frank Cook, Labour MP for Stockton North, said: "My comment at the time was that the allegations were sufficiently serious to warrant a proper line of inquiry. My opinion hasn't changed."

The chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Councillor Ken Walker, said at the time the claims should be "properly investigated".

Cleveland Police has asked for a trial transcript, but last night declined to comment.

The court heard how debt-ridden Mr Nelson, 38, a former Sheffield Eagles player, was shot dead by a masked man in a Leeds pub on July 22 last year, who also fired at his brother, Andrew Nelson, who managed to escape injury.

As Bryan fled, Mr Montgomery, 40, threw a beer glass at him but was fired at and fatally wounded.

Bryan, who had been living in Blackpool, denied killing both men, and the attempted murder of Andrew Nelson.

In addition to the two life sentences, he received ten years for attempted murder.

Sentencing Bryan, who has a history of schizophrenia, Mr Justice Henriques, said he should serve a longer than normal sentence.

"This was a planned killing carried out with pretensions of professionalism but riddled with incompetence," the judge told him.

He said Bryan had worn a balaclava with eye holes so large that a girl was able to recognise him.

The judge added that while Boro fan Bryan burned almost all his clothes, he could not bear to be without his Middlesbrough Football Club jacket - on which forensic experts found firearms residue.

He said: "You were recruited to shoot a man dead by someone who clearly wanted him dead.