TODAY could be D-Day for a beleaguered police chief.

A watchdog group will meet behind closed doors this afternoon to decide whether Barry Shaw, Chief Constable of crisis-hit Cleveland Police, should be suspended.

A mystery whistle-blower has accused Mr Shaw of leaking to a national newspaper a confidential Government report critical of suspended Middlesbrough CID boss, Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon, and of the effectiveness of his Zero Tolerance techniques.

Ironically, one of the reasons given for Det Supt Mallon's suspension, on December 1, 1997, was that he leaked information to the Press.

The man who suspended him, deputy chief constable Robert Turnbull, took early retirement and with it a golden handshake, then took a top job in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

Det Supt Mallon was officially cleared of any criminal allegations earlier this year, but remains suspended.

The allegations against Mr Shaw are thought to have come from a senior civilian member of staff using new legislation which protects whistle-blowers from intimidation when speaking about a superior.

A Press statement will be released following the meeting, in Middlesbrough Town Hall.

A spokesman for the Cleveland Police Authority said: "The meeting has been called to investigate an allegation. If the authority decides the allegation should be investigated, then we will have to appoint an investigating officer of equivalent rank, that is, another chief constable.

"In terms of suspensions the authority itself does not have the power to do that, but can only make a recommendation to the Police Complaints Authority.

"There are two basic grounds for suspension during an investigation and they are that leaving the individual in post might inhibit an investigation, or it would be in the public interest for the individual to be suspended while the investigation is held.''