A CHIEF constable is determined that lessons will be learned by his force after a tribunal ruled it had acted unlawfully when it seized more than a million minutes of data to try and track down whistleblowers.

Earlier this month Iain Spittal announced a review of Cleveland Police’s professional standards department after it was heavily criticised for its handling of the investigation at an Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

Last night, Mr Spittal reiterated his determination to wipe the slate clean after he ordered an independent investigation to oversee the use of more than 60 RIPA applications submitted over a six year period – before he joined the force in June 2013.

He said: “In 2012 officers at Cleveland Police used powers given to them under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) to try and identify who was giving information about the force to the press. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has ruled that our use of these powers was not justified.

“Although I have already contacted the people affected by this and said sorry, sorry on its own isn’t enough. Because of this the Police and Crime Commissioner and I announced, earlier this year, an expert review of the Professional Standards Department and all RIPA use over the past six years.

“I am proud to lead Cleveland Police. I am confident that those who work with me will continue to strive to be the best that they can be each and every day. When we get things wrong, as we did here, we will say sorry and work to make things right.”

And Barry Coppinger, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, has expressed his sadness and concern that the force acted unlawfully when it seized telecommunications date using the RIPA legislation.

He said: “I accept this judgment of the hearing and I am concerned to read of the mistakes that the force made in the actions it took five years ago.

“The police have wide-ranging powers and it is imperative that these powers be used lawfully, it saddens me that, clearly, this was not the case in this instance.”