RAY Mallon will be tried in his absence if he refuses to attend his disciplinary hearing, it emerged last night at the end of a day of extraordinary twists at Cleveland Police.

The dramatic day began with Cleveland's Chief Constable Barry Shaw refusing to accept Mr Mallon's resignation.

Mr Mallon immediately countered by saying he would not attend the disciplinary hearing where he faces 14 charges arising out of the controversial Operation Lancet.

Instead, he said he would press on with his attempts to become Middlesbrough's first directly-elected mayor.

The day also included former Home Office advisor Lord Mackenzie saying "dark forces are at work" in Cleveland and the head of the police authority, Coun Ken Walker, claiming he was the target of a smear campaign.

Yesterday morning, Mr Shaw told the police authority that allowing Mr Mallon to retire "would usurp arrangements put in place by Parliament to ensure officers are accountable for their actions.

''All Cleveland Police officers are accountable to the people they serve and in the public interest it is imperative that disciplinary hearings against all officers are concluded."

Mr Mallon responded: "I resigned from Cleveland Police a week ago and at that time I stated that senior figures with Cleveland Police, Cleveland Police Authority and Middlesbrough Council would do everything in their power to stop me from becoming elected mayor of Middlesbrough. They have now made an attempt to derail my plans."

He insisted: "I have the right to work and for whom I choose. I will never return to Cleveland Police.

"If the chief constable wishes to take disciplinary hearings in my absence, that is a matter for him. Personally, I have more important things to concentrate on. He can get on with it.''

Last night, a Cleveland Police spokesman said: "The disciplinary proceedings will proceed.''

Lord Mackenzie, a Mallon supporter, said: "There are dark forces at work here.

"There's an attack on his liberty for the matter of a few minor disciplinary matters.''

Meanwhile, Coun Walker, who is also leader of Middlesbrough council, dismissed as "malicious and misleading nonsense'' claims that he faces a potential conflict of interests.

He said: "I am on public record as making crystal clear that I have no intention whatsoever of seeking the post of elected mayor."

In a separate development, it was revealed that South Yorkshire Chief Constable Michael Hedges has completed an investigation into allegations that Mr Shaw leaked extracts of a report criticising Mr Mallon's techniques.