A SENIOR police officer left with serious facial injuries when he was knocked unconscious by a love rival was sacked last night after lying to his bosses about how he was hurt.

Temporary Chief Inspector Lee Rukin suffered a fractured eye socket and cheek bone as well as having several teeth damaged when he had his "face smashed in" on Tuesday, May 19 this year.

Yesterday he appeared before a misconduct hearing to face charges of breaching Cleveland Police’s guidelines of honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct.

The force confirmed last night that he had been sacked with immediate effect following the hearing.

Temp Chief Insp Rukin was accused of lying to several senior officers about how he suffered the injuries in an attempt to mislead them into believing they were caused during a cycling accident.

The officer did not deny making up the story but said he only did so to protect his own privacy and that of his family as well as the families of the colleague he was having a relationship with and her former partner, who carried out the attack.

He also said that he believed that conversations he had with senior colleagues in the weeks following the incident were of a private and personal nature, so his lying had no impact on his professional integrity.

The firearms officer, who was described as a dedicated and hard working officer with a very promising career ahead of him, apologised for lying but maintained he only did so to protect his privacy.

Giving evidence at the hearing, he said: “I made a foolish decision to mislead people about the true nature of my injuries. I wish I had never done it.”

It was put to him that one officer had emailed him and mentioned that rumours were flying around the force headquarters about how he really suffered the injuries and advised him to tell the truth.

However, Chief Insp Rukin said he believed the email was not in an official capacity and was simply a conversation he was having with a friend and colleague and he was entitled to keep his personal issues to himself.

The hearing heard how when asked by an executive police officer, before an important meeting with the Crown Prosecution Service, how he suffered the very visible injuries, the officer told him he had crashed his bike into the rear of a parked car.

Charles Apthorp, representing the force, said one of the senior officers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described it as bemusing that Temp Chief Insp Rukin thought he could lie to him.

Describing the attack on the Temp Chief Insp Rukin as grievous bodily harm with intent, Mr Apthorp quizzed him about why he failed to report it.

He said: “You were seriously assaulted by someone who you could identify, someone who sparked you out, smashed your face in, and left you laid in the street.”

He said this person could be a risk to the public and the officer was duty bound to report a violent crime.

Defending his decision, the officer said despite being knocked out he quickly discovered who his assailant was.

He said: “I believe his attack was a moment of stupidity, he is not someone who is a violent predator who randomly attacks people.”

When asked why he did not report it, the officer told the hearing that there were some extremely unique circumstances surrounding the incident otherwise it would never have happened.

Defending his reason for lying, he said: “As a people and humans, we are entitled to our private life. There is a distinction between being at work and not at work and I believe that I’m a good person both in and out of work.”

The three person independent panel, chaired by Northumbria Police’s Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford, heard the evidence at the disciplinary hearing at Cleveland Police’s headquarters.

Last night Cleveland's Assistant Chief Constable Simon Nickless said: "Temporary Chief Inspector Lee Rukin appeared before a misconduct hearing at police headquarters today in relation to a breach of the standards of professional behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.

"The hearing was overseen by an independent chair, and the officer did not contest the allegations put to him.

"The hearing resulted in the officer being dismissed without notice.

"Cleveland Police expects all officers to uphold the force values on honesty and integrity and it demands exemplary standards of behaviour from everyone who works in policing."