THE Mallon business drags on and on. The events of this week have left us no clearer either about the probity of the man who would be mayor of Middlesbrough or the extent of collusion and disregard for justice within the Cleveland police force.

What is clear is that something or someone is very rotten at the heart of the police disciplinary process. The way Mr Mallon has been allowed to resign from the force with his full pension rights intact while formally admitting his guilt to the disciplinary charges he faced is wholly unsatisfactory. The people of Cleveland and, more importantly, the electorate of Middlesbrough do not know the truth about the man they may be asked to vote for as their most powerful local politician. The question they cannot yet answer is whether or not Ray Mallon is a crook.

Perhaps the most depressing aspect of the whole affair is that, regardless of what type of further inquiry might be instituted, there is no guarantee that its findings would be the final story. Such is the nature of the allegations and counter-allegations and such is the extent of the hatred between the parties involved, it is hard to see how even the soundest of legal brains could sort the wheat from the chaff.

Looking forward, what about Cleveland police force? How can it restore its reputation?

Changes in its senior management seem inevitable. That is not to condemn chief constable Barry Shaw, but nevertheless he is inextricably bound up in the Mallon affair. His reputation has a question mark over it almost as big as the one over Mr Mallon. Is he guilty of pursuing a vendetta and denying due justice to one of his officers? We don't know the answer to that question either but it seems the force would have a better chance of putting this matter behind it if Mr Shaw was no longer at the helm.

And what now of Ray Mallon? His high-risk strategy may allow him to stand for mayor of Middlesbrough, but will the electorate be prepared to take a risk with him? With such doubts about his integrity, can he really be a credible candidate? And on a more mundane level is he really the right person to deal with the details of bin collections, school catering and the arcane world of local government administration? Does a former high-flying detective with a taste for publicity and a questionable reputation make a good first citizen? Probably not.