Mr Mallon is the cause of the scandalous cost of this inquiry because he was determined to prevent the truth getting out

Chief Constable Barry Shaw

Mr Mallon has condemned the four-year-long Operation Lancet into allegations of corruption in Cleveland Police and has expressed a desire to stand as mayor of Middlesbrough.

Mr Shaw told the meeting: "For more than four long years the people of Cleveland have been fed a diet of lies, innuendo and half truths by the man who now wants to be the Mayor of Middlesbrough.

"Under the manipulation of Mr Mallon, Operation Lancet has become, in the public eyes, the vilification of an innocent man - a vendetta by a group of twisted senior officers and an evil force dedicated to drive a man from his job.

"Nothing can be further from the truth and the time has now come for the truth to come out.

'Scandalous' cost

"Mr Mallon is the cause of the scandalous cost of this inquiry because he was determined to prevent the truth getting out.

"He was at the centre of an empire of evil and desperate to suppress the truth."

Mr Mallon, nicknamed "Robocop" for his zero-tolerance policing style, was effectively dismissed from the force on Tuesday after admitting 14 disciplinary charges.

The police authority meeting on Wednesday was told details of the charges involving Mr Mallon.

Ray Mallon was asked to resign from the force

These included a number of failures to investigate allegations of misconduct including one made by an inspector that a detective had supplied a controlled drug to a female prisoner and another that a criminal had been tipped off.

However, Mr Mallon told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme he pleaded guilty to clear the way for his bid to become an elected mayor.

Mr Mallon said his "confession" had been a "tactical move".

He said: "I had to resign. If I hadn't have done that, then I couldn't have stood as the mayor, because clearly as a serving police officer I could not stand for any kind of political position.

Campaign support

"I pleaded guilty because the proceedings had been adjourned until July. I pleaded guilty so that I can stand as the mayor.

"I had a contract with the people of Middlesbrough, they voted yes at the referendum for a mayor, and I said I would be on that ballot paper.

"My reputation is very important but my honour is far more important, and I told the people of Middlesbrough that I would be on that ballot paper."

Mr Mallon said he had support for his mayoral campaign from across the local community, including tacit backing even from within the local Labour party.