THE National Black Police Association (NBPA) has raised "serious concerns" about alleged racism within a North-East force with the police watchdog, The Northern Echo has learned.

The chair of the NBPA, Franstine Jones, said ethnic minority officers within Cleveland Police were too afraid to speak up about racism in case they were subjected to "detrimental treatment of the worst kind".

One officer being supported by the NBPA said he was subjected to racist bullying and harassment after making an official complaint.

And an investigation by the Metropolitan Police - Operation Talon - into how an internal equality review was handled was "a nonsensical waste of time" because Cleveland was not allowing the Met to investigate how the review was carried out, she said.

The NBPA has written to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to express its concerns.

Cleveland Police carried out an equality review to examine racism in the force in 2012 but its final findings have been controversial.

Ms Jones said: "The NBPA has supported an officer from Cleveland Police who has made a complaint about the initial equality review which was conducted, and then a watered-down version was produced, because of the findings of the initial report.

"As a consequence of making the complaint about the report, and what was in it, and what was done around it to try to hide the true findings, that officer was then subjected to racist behaviour, bullying and harassment to the point where it came to our attention.

"What he revealed made us so concerned that we wrote a letter to the IPCC saying we had great concerns about what was going on within Cleveland Police.

"There is a group of frightened black and ethnic minority officers at Cleveland Police who are afraid to speak out."

The Northern Echo has also learned that the NBPA's former chair, Charles Crichlow, had a heated row with top officers at Cleveland over the review as it was being conducted, before he was asked not to play any further part in it. He could not be contacted for comment.

The force called in the Metropolitan Police to investigate after a complaint to the IPCC from the member of the public about the handling of the equality review, and over claims that former assistant chief constable Sean White ordered senior policemen to "destroy" a BME officer after finding out he was a whistleblower.

Last night a spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers said that, while he could not comment on individual forces, there was "no place in the police service for discriminatory behaviour".

Cleveland Police's deputy chief constable Iain Spittal told The Northern Echo that the complaints made had been taken seriously and referred to the IPCC, which asked the Force to investigate.

He said he was happy that the terms of reference - the topics Cleveland Police allowed the Met to investigate - were appropriate.

He added: "I will not tolerate behaviour by officers and staff which is disrespectful and undermines equality and diversity, and will deal with any evidence of such behaviour firmly.

"Many of the issues... go back into the history of this organisation. While I have work ongoing to investigate and review some things which are said to have happened in the past, I am strongly focused on the future and working with PCC Barry Coppinger to build a culture which is respectful of all.

"I am disappointed that the NBPA president has said that there are some staff who are afraid to come forward. I have an open door policy and will continue to reiterate that negative behaviour must be challenged and those who challenge through the appropriate means will be supported."

Former officer Sultan Alam, who won £800,000 after a 17-year fight for justice against Cleveland Police after a malicious prosecution was brought by colleagues, said: "Cleveland Police spends far to much time and resources in deflecting criticism and trying to protect itself from it than it does trying to deal with the root causes."