Cleveland's Chief Constable yesterday called him "a liar at the head of an evil empire", but Ray Mallon, writing exclusively for The Northern Echo, insists his reputation in still intact - and he has no intention of giving up his political ambitions.

When I walked into the lion's den yesterday, I had my eyes wide open and knew exactly what the Chief Constable Barry Shaw and the Chairman of the Police Authority had been planning.

I have always confronted my enemies, I have always taken on the bully boys. I was prepared to answer any questions any member of the authority had to ask me, but they weren't interested in getting both sides of the story.

They prefer to live in an ivory tower where they can smear me and then skulk away rather than take open questions from the press or public.

I shook the cages of some of Britain's chief officers five years ago when I confirmed what the public had feared for some time. Money alone would not cure rising crime, it needed more effective management.

I became the figurehead for a form of positive policing known as Zero Tolerance. Thanks to the hard work of the Middlesbrough uniform and CID officers and the help of the public, we slashed crime in the town and, just as importantly, we diminished the fear of crime.

In July 1996, there were 329 house burglaries in the town - that was unacceptable. In July 1997, as we began to get on top of the criminals, the number of house burglaries was down to 204. Still too many, but a massive step in the right direction.

Mr Shaw and his former deputy Richard Brunstrom claim that, while I was going about my job, I was also running "an empire of evil". Are they seriously suggesting that they would allow such a person, in the full media glare, to show two Home Secretaries and a Prime Minister-in-waiting around Middlesbrough Police Station?

Operation Lancet took the word of convicted criminals above that of the officers who had put them behind bars. I was not prepared to tolerate that. I spoke up for my officers, and, days later, I was suspended. Within weeks of my suspension, Mr Shaw, who has a statutory duty to remain totally impartial in such investigations, advised the Police Complaints Authority that it should "take Mallon's legs off".

Mr Shaw then had the gall to write to The Northern Echo in April 1999, and tell the editor: "I have a personal responsibility to ensure the investigators and investigated are treated fairly and I shall discharge that responsibility to the best of my ability." Mr Shaw yesterday joined the chairman of the Police Authority Ken Walker in trying to persuade the people of Middlesbrough that they should not vote for me in the forthcoming mayoral election. I will be writing to the Home Secretary David Blunkett asking him to investigate this quite blatant interference by Mr Shaw in the democratic process.

The Police Authority spoke of referring this matter back to the Crown Prosecution Service. The only concern I have about that is that yet more money will go from the public purse. But I am confident the CPS will come to the same decision it and the Director of Public Prosecutions himself came to last time they reviewed the Lancet files.

That is because, on every occasion, when anyone independent of Cleveland Police has looked at these matters, they have cleared my name.

Mr Shaw saw fit to praise the witnesses against me. The star witness was former Detective Inspector Russ Daglish who has since been sacked. This is what Withiel Cole, the Chief Lawyer with the CPS, said of him: "I will take some convincing to use Mr Daglish as a witness of truth in the Lancet inquiry."

Mr Shaw also praised former Chief Superintendent Kevin Pitt who carried out the probe into me and who resigned last week. What he did not reveal was that he, Mr Shaw, was ordered by the Police Complaints Authority to remove Mr Pitt from both the criminal and disciplinary inquiry into me because of repeated abuse of the investigative process.

The public may also be interested to know there has already been a thorough, impartial review of the Lancet files by West Yorkshire Police. The conclusion of the investigating officer was: "I was left with the over-riding view that the criminal case against Det Supt Mallon is weak and unlikely to succeed."

The investigating officer described the investigation into me as "emotive, but without hard and fast evidence". That perfectly describes the diatribe Mr Shaw came out with yesterday.

I appreciate the public of Middlesbrough must be heartily sick of all this mudslinging, which does nothing but denigrate the town and its hard-working rank and file police officers. The time has come to move this debate on to what is best for Middlesbrough.

The Chief Constable and the Chairman of the Police Authority should concentrate on tackling the recent rises in crime and the £6m budget deficit, which promises fewer police officers and massive tax hikes for local people.

My reputation was restored two years ago when I was cleared of crime. In August, I told the people of Middlesbrough I would stand for mayor. When my hearing was delayed yet again until July, the only way I could keep my word was to admit the disciplinary breaches and end the disciplinary process.

What the Chief Constable and his colleagues have failed to provide is a single, rational explanation as to why I would admit charges and offer no mitigation at this stage, other than the reason I have given throughout - to ensure my name was on that ballot paper. If I was the "evil" man they paint me as, surely I would have gone to an abuse hearing in July to get as much as possible kicked out on technicalities. I certainly would not have spared the Lancet witnesses the trauma of being cross examined.

Apart from their desire to stop me from becoming a mayoral candidate, there is another clear reason why Mr Shaw is so keen to try and "take my legs". The Police Complaints Authority was appalled at the failure of Cleveland Police to investigate allegations of drug taking among Middlesbrough officers in 1994. Please note, this is well before I ever came to Middlesbrough. The PCA concluded that had senior officers of the force done their jobs properly back then, and I quote, "there may have been no requirement for Operation Lancet".

The fact remains that this Chief Constable spent £8m of public money, made criminal allegations against 61 police officers, and failed to provide the evidence to substantiate a single charge, let alone gain a conviction.

I have a message for Barry Shaw. I am from Teesside, I have worked long and hard to clean up these streets and I know the public well. They are honest and fairminded, not the guillible fools you seem to think they are. They will see straight through yesterday's pantomime and they will be my judge in May.

Your irrational and personal outbursts do you no credit. Yes, by your own admission, you stated my legs had to be taken. You've been trying to take my legs for four years and no doubt you will try again.

But you have failed this time, and you will fail next time. I'm standing now, and I'll be standing in May.

* Editor's footnote: Ray Mallon started writing for The Northern Echo before he was suspended. His column was continued throughout Operation Lancet on the basic principle of justice that a man is innocent until proven guilty. We have decided that today's extended column will be his last for the time being solely because he will soon stand in Middlesbrough's mayoral election and it would be unfair to other candidates to provide him with a platform. The decision will be reviewed after the election. Mr Mallon, who has never been paid for the column, agrees with this decision.

Published: 14/02/02