Lawyers

Middlesbrough MP Stuart Bell claimed that Cleveland Police could face civil actions over wrongful imprisonment once the Operation Lancet inquiry ends.

Only six days ago, suspended police chief Ray Mallon and seven other Cleveland officers were cleared of all criminal charges under the controversial long-running anti-corruption probe.

Detective Superintendent Mallon, dubbed "Robocop" for his Zero Tolerance approach, is now demanding his job back as boss of Middlesbrough CID even though he could still face disciplinary action.

But Mr Bell last night raised fears that the Cleveland force could face civil court proceedings from people behind the original allegations that started the Lancet inquiry.

He stressed that those would not involve Mr Mallon but insisted that the force would probably face civil action on other counts, including some from people who felt they had been wrongly imprisoned.

Mr Bell forecast that the complainants would get legal aid and told The Northern Echo: "I know lawyers in Middlesbrough who are lining up to do it."

Cleveland Police last night declined to respond to the MP's claims, insisting that it would not comment until Lancet had finished.

"We want to be scrupulously fair," said a police spokesman.

Mr Bell also called for "cool heads and a calm approach" while the Lancet inquiry continued.

But last night, a blazing row erupted between fellow Teesside Labour MPs Ashok Kumar and Frank Cook.

Stockton North MP Mr Cook angrily accused Dr Kumar of having "taken leave of his senses" after he called for Cleveland Chief Constable Barry Shaw to quit.

Dr Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, made the move in the wake of last Friday's collapse of charges against two Cleveland officers accused of stealing a £20 boiler.

The final bill for Cleveland Police could be £500,000 in costs, and Dr Kumar signalled this was the final straw for a chief constable who should have "strangled" Lancet "at birth".

The outspoken MP, who told the Home Secretary in the Commons yesterday to end Lancet now that Mr Mallon and other officers had been cleared, also raised fears that some Home Office advisors were looking to disband the Cleveland force.

But Mr Cook sprang angrily to Mr Shaw's defence, saying the police chief had done his "proper duty" in recognising that allegations of serious wrongdoing could not be swept under the carpet.

"If he had taken the course of action suggested by Ashok Kumar, I would be certainly have called for him to be sacked," said Mr Cook.

He also said he would demanding answers from the Home Secretary to see if there was "any truth" in Dr Kumar's fears for the future of Cleveland Police.

However, Dr Kumar last night stood by his call for Mr Shaw to go and accused his Labour colleague of making personal attacks on him.

He has claimed that Lancet has now cost £5m of public money and only yesterday told the Home Secretary it had been "a great drain" on the force's budgets.

Dr Kumar told The Northern Echo: "Frank Cook must like spending public money and wasting it down the drain."

A spokesman for Cleveland Police insisted the Chief Constable was staying put and was determined to see Operation Lancet through.