THE right hand man of a controversial police authority chairman is among the front runners to replace him in the job, it has emerged.

Magistrate Ted Cox confirmed last night that he was seeking to replace Councillor Ken Walker as the head of Cleveland Police Authority once his chairmanship comes to an end.

The Northern Echo has learned that vice-chairman Mr Cox, who is seen as one of Coun Walker's staunchest allies on the authority, has already begun canvassing support among fellow members ahead of a vote to select the new chairman.

His possible appointment is likely to anger many critics who feel he is too closely aligned to Coun Walker and believe a clean break is needed from the current tenure.

Last night, Mr Cox, 66, a member of the police authority since 1989 and vice-chairman for the past two years, said he would not comment further at this stage.

Dr Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland and a long-time opponent of Coun Walker, said: "It is up to the police authority to make a decision on who to appoint.

"What I would fervently hope is that whoever it is, they are not tainted by the mistakes of the past and that they could take the authority in a fresh direction."

Coun Walker, who this month failed to secure the Labour Party nomination to remain on the authority, was in charge during the much maligned police corruption inquiry Operation Lancet.

More recently, he became embroiled in a public row with Cleveland police Chief Constable Sean Price over the discovery of a £7.3m financial "black hole" in its accounts.

Coun Walker will step down at the police authority's annual meeting on July 15.

A majority vote will decide which of the proposed members will replace him.

They could include Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for community safety, who is also thought to be interested in the role.

Before that, the political make-up of the police authority will be decided by a joint committee, which will sit following local elections in Hartlepool on June 10.