CLEVELAND Police’s beleaguered chief constable Sean Price has today been sacked for gross misconduct and told his behaviour was "shameful".

Sean Price has been the subject of disciplinary action over allegations relating to the recruitment of the daughter of the former chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Dave McLuckie.

The verdict of the disciplinary hearing, which has lasted eight days, has been announced this morning.

The suspended police chief has always maintained his innocence, and tried and failed to secure a judicial review at the High Court in London to stop the hearing going ahead.

The independent panel, sitting in Northallerton, rejected his explanations.

The hearing found it proven that Mr Price had asked a member of staff to enquire about a job for an individual, had denied doing so when investigated by the IPCC and had then directed the member of staff to lie to the IPCC about the matter in an attempt to mislead the investigation.

The panel decided the proven matters individually and collectively amounted to gross misconduct and recommended to Cleveland Police Authority that Mr Price be dismissed with immediate effect.

The panel found it not proven that Mr Price had directed that a job be found for an individual.

IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: "Sean Price's attempts to mislead the IPCC investigation by lying and putting pressure on a member of staff to lie on his behalf were shameful."

Mr Price said: "Whilst the burden of proof at misconduct hearings is of a lower standard I am still perplexed as to why a misconduct panel could have found against me in the light of the evidence presented and the obvious hurdles that were placed in the way of me being able to lay the full facts of this case before the panel."

Mr Price, suspended on full pay since he was arrested as part of Operation Sacristy in August last year, is expected to face further disciplinary charges along with his deputy, Derek Bonnard.

Criminal charges against Mr Bonnard were dropped earlier this year.