A FORMER and a serving officer from a police force whose top officers are being investigated as part of an alleged corruption investigation have been arrested.

The two men, who have both worked for Cleveland Police, were arrested on misuse of public funds, but the force insists the arrests are not related to the corruption investigation.

Both the currently serving Cleveland officer and the former officer have been released on bail and have not been charge.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We can confirm a serving police officer and a former police officer have been arrested and released on bail in relation to misappropriation of public funds.

“The serving officer was suspended whilst inquiries were ongoing but has been reinstated as a file is now being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.”

The spokeswoman would not confirm the identities of the officers.

But she said the investigation is completely unrelated to the Operation Sacristy probe in which the Chief Constable Sean Price was arrested, along with his deputy Derek Bonnard, in August on suspicion of misconduct and corruption.

Both men, who have been bailed, have denied any wrongdoing and are suspended from their posts at Cleveland Police.

Mr Price said last week that he believed a criminal investigation into his conduct had acted “unlawful” in seizing documents.