THERE is a definite sense of deja vu surrounding the deal to discontinue the bid to recover £500,000 from Cleveland's former chief constable Sean Price.

The previous mess, codenamed Operation Lancet, ended just as unsatisfactorily. Ray Mallon compromised by accepting disciplinary charges in order to free himself from the wrangle so that he could become Middlesbrough's Mayor.

The current mess, codenamed Operation Sacristy, has concluded with Sean Price agreeing to cough up £23,000 in a compromise which sees the force cut short its chase of £500,000.

Both sides have issued statements insisting that they were right – but accepting the reality that only the lawyers were likely winners, while the taxpayers of Cleveland were the certain losers.

A deal has been reached in the interests of allowing Cleveland Police to move on and so that the money can be spent where it is most needed – on frontline policing.

The legal bills were racking up and a line had to be drawn but what a disgrace that a British police force could dig such a hole for itself.

What an embarrassment that there could even be any question about whether a chief constable had been given half a million pounds to which he was not entitled. What an appalling state of affairs that Cleveland Police reached the end of one murky trail that was Operation Lancet only to stumble blindly into the wastelands of Operation Sacristy.

Move on we must, but what is really galling is that, for all the years of investigation, and the millions of pounds poured down the drain, the people of Cleveland still don't know the whole truth and probably never will.

Operation Lancet. Operation Sacristy. Operation Scandalous.