He has been reinstated to duty with immediate effect.

Mr Stalker's exoneration comes three months after he was suspended following allegations he was associating with criminals.

The complaints against him alleged he had attended social events where members of the so-called "Quality Street gang" were present.

The Quality Street gang are said to be a group of Manchester's leading villains involved in everything from serious crime to running arms to the IRA.

Critical report

The complaints were brought by senior officers but Mr Stalker said they had nothing to fear as long as they had not acted maliciously.

As a result of the allegations against him, Mr Stalker was also removed from an inquiry in Northern Ireland focusing on shootings by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in the early 1980s.

Last year he produced a critical interim report into the circumstances surrounding the shootings but is said to have clashed with the RUC's Chief Constable, John Hermon.

It was reported that Mr Stalker believed Mr Hermon was obstructing his inquiry.

Mr Stalker's friend, businessman Kevin Taylor, is still under investigation for alleged criminal dealings with the Quality Street gang.

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