THE Leveson Inquiry has been told confidential medical records were leaked to a national newspaper about the health of a top police officer at the centre of a corruption investigation.

Cleveland Police Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard said he has been forced to respond to the unauthorised disclosure in the Daily Mirror on February 29.

The report said Chief Constable Sean Price and deputy, Mr Bonnard, who have both been suspended as part of the Operation Sacristy investigation, handed in medical notes to Cleveland Police Authority saying they were too stressed to be interviewed.

Last night, Mr Bonnard said he believed the leak came from within the Operation Sacristy team.

However, officials from the investigation denied any personal details had been passed to the media.

Representations have now been made by solicitors to the Leveson Inquiry, which is examining press standards in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

In a statement, Mr Bonnard said: “I am in the unfortunate position of being compelled to respond to an unauthorised leak of my medical records to a national newspaper.

“Most right-thinking people will understand the distress caused by the publication in the Mirror of very selective details from a confidential medical report that my solicitors provided to the Operation Sacristy investigation team.

“Given the inherently confidential nature of the medical information that was published, and the extremely limited circle of recipients, namely, my medical advisors, my lawyers and the Operation Sacristy investigators, and the timing of its release, I infer that this unauthorised release came from someone within Operation Sacristy or who had been told about it by them.

“It is seven months since my interview and I am yet to be told details of the allegations against me. I continue to find the whole situation extremely frustrating and damaging to my health."

However, a spokesman for the inquiry refuted the allegation. He said: "The suggestion that any member of Operation Sacristy has passed private or personal information to the media is completely untrue.

"Mr Bonnard's statement that he does not know the matters under investigation is also completely untrue.

"He was informed of the reasons for his arrest at time of arrest and interview and he has received paperwork in relation to conduct matters which, again, details the matters under investigation."

Mr Price, Mr Bonnard and the force’s former solicitor Caroline Llewellyn were arrested last August and released on police bail as part of the criminal investigation led by Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police Keith Bristow, which is being conducted by a team of officers from North Yorkshire Police.

Last November, the former chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, Dave McLuckie was also arrested as part of the inquiry.