Ken Ralphs believes the police let him and his family down

Ken Ralphs gave Greater Manchester Police the mobile phone number of a gangland murder suspect.

But his details were passed to the suspect killer's lawyers before the trial and he received death threats.

Mr Ralphs and his partner had to be given new identities and move hundreds of miles from their home in Stockport.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Seabridge apologised to Mr Ralphs and vowed that lessons had been learned.

An officer 'made a mistake'

Mr Ralphs, 39, who has changed his name, endured several months of verbal and physical assaults in which his business was petrol-bombed, CS gas was sprayed in his face and a knife was held to his throat.

He also received a death threat written in blood.

The High Court has ordered Greater Manchester Police to pay Mr Ralphs �134,000 in compensation, and his legal costs.

Mr Seabridge said: "An officer inadvertently made a mistake in that the man's name should have been blanked out in one document among thousands which we were duty bound to disclose to the defence.

"We are very sorry for what has happened and have always admitted liability since this first came to light.

Business petrol-bombed

"Many lessons have been learnt and we now have more effective quality assurance checks which have been put in place through the creation of the Force Major Incident Team.

"We would also like to take this opportunity to apologise and make it clear that we have no intention of appealing."

Earlier, the Greater Manchester Police Authority echoed Mr Seabridge's pledge that such a mistake must never be allowed to happen again.

Chairman, Councillor Stephen Murphy, said: "People who come forward with any information which might help a police inquiry should expect their identity to be protected wherever this is appropriate - and particularly in a case like this one.

"Quite simply, this should not happen. The police should never make mistakes like this.

"We must find out the full circumstances of this case and ensure this does not happen again."

'Devastating consequences'

As well as new identities, the blunder has meant Mr Ralphs, his partner and several family members, having to re-locate for their own safety.

He said: "I was given a 100% assurance that my name and information would not be disclosed; this blunder has completely ruined our lives.

"It was an unprofessional way to act and the consequences of passing on my details that reached the criminal fraternity have been devastating."