CHIEF Constable Barry Shaw is today at the centre of new shock allegations which will rock the shaky foundations of Cleveland Police force.

A senior civilian employee has used new Government 'whistle-blowing' legislation to make serious claims which, if proven, could cost Mr Shaw his job.

Cleveland Police Authority has been called upon to investigate the claim that the Chief Constable sanctioned the leaking of a privileged Treasury Counsel report to the media in an attempted 'hatchet job' on Zero Tolerance cop Ray Mallon.

It has been claimed that confidential information was passed to a national newspaper on the eve of Det Supt Mallon's press conference in the wake of the Criminal Prosecution Service clearing him of criminal conduct.

A Cleveland Police Authority spokesperson said: "The authority has been informed of an allegation relating to the publication in the media of extracts from a report prepared by Treasury Counsel who reviewed evidence relating to Operation Lancet."

The authority is due to hold a special meeting on Friday to consider the allegation.

The MP for Middlesbrough South, Ashok Kumar, has called for the Chief Constable to go and for Mallon to be immediately re-instated: "The time has come for Ray Mallon to return and the Chief to go - that is what the public demands."

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