ALLEGATIONS of racism uncovered in an internal review of Cleveland Police ran so deep that senior officers tried to "dilute" them, a hearing was told yesterday.

And it heard the then head of the National Black Police Association, Charles Crichlow, was so concerned at the findings that he wanted to refer the matter to police watchdog, the IPCC.

In its evidence to an employment tribunal, Cleveland Police is expected to deny the allegations, and to say the review was only ever an information-gathering exercise.

The Equality Review was set up at the force following a survey of black and ethnic minority officers which found 70 to 80 per cent were unhappy about the treatment they were receiving, PC Nadeem Saddique told the tribunal at Teesside Magistrates Court.

Firearms officer PC Saddique, who is pursuing a claim of racial discrimination against Cleveland Police, said the review was set up with the original intention that any criminal or misconduct matters raised would be "dealt with".

But he said: "Unfortunately, once the interviews were being conducted, the management realised the magnitude of the problem and the impact it was going to have, and at that point steps were taken to start diluting the evidence and changing the terms of reference.

"The interim report had watered down examples of evidence from the interviews.

"Once the organisation realised the level and depth of the problem, they... looked at ways of watering down the review."

He also said he had spoken to another officer who said Sergeant Nick Edgar, one of the report's authors "went to him and said he was uncomfortable because he was being asked to dilute the evidence".

PC Saddique resigned from his involvement in the Equality Review and from the Cleveland Black Police Association (CBPA) - which is separate to the national body - in May 2014.

He sent an email to those involved, saying he felt the CBPA had been "selective, secretive and duplicitous in their methods especially concerning the Equality Review".

He also claimed Yasmin Khan, one of the members of the Independent Advisory Group, which was overseeing the review, had a "conflict of interest" because her company was receiving contracts and payments from Cleveland Police.

And he said he was "uncomfortable" that Chief Superintendent Darren Best was overseeing the review.

"He was overseeing the Equality Review but also the professional standards department at that time when 70 - 80 per cent of officers said they had no faith in the treatment they received by professional standards," said PC Saddique.

But employment judge Tudor Garnon highlighted a "complete difference in view between what you say was intended to happen, and what the Chief Constable believed was going to happen".

Referring to Chief Constable Jacqui Cheer's written evidence to the tribunal, he said her view was that the equality review was a confidential, information-gathering exercise, to allow accusations, both true and untrue, to be heard confidentially with no further action taken on them.

Mr Garnon said MS Cheer's statement said different versions of the report were just different parts of the evidence that had been gathered - not watered down evidence.

Cleveland Police denies the allegations of racial discrimination against PC Saddique. The hearing continues.