Former Hampshire Chief Constable Sir John Hoddinott has been appointed to review the controversial Operation Lancet corruption inquiry, officials confirmed last night.
Operation Lancet, set up three years ago, examined allegations against members of Middlesbrough CID and its chief, Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon, the pioneer of "zero tolerance" policing.
Despite costing up to £7m, Operation Lancet brought no prosecutions into allegations that police offered drugs to criminals in exchange for information.
The Northern Echo revealed last month that Sir John had been appointed by the Home Secretary to head the inquiry into the widely-criticised investigation.
Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, said last night: "We always said there are important lessons from Lancet which should be taken into account in any new police disciplinary system - including the central issue of how major investigations are funded and supervised.''
A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "We look forward to meeting and working with Sir John Hoddinott."
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