CLEVELAND Police's Chief Constable dramatically condemned the past leadership of his force and blamed it, in part, for the lack of officers in front-line policing.

Mike Veale said one of the reasons he took the role was to address the 'failures of leadership and failures of moral courage' and lead the force forward.

He spoke out last week about lack of funding affecting officer numbers after a BBC documentary showed just eight officers on duty in Hartlepool on a Saturday night. But analysis by the Press Association has since shown that Cleveland is one of the best-staffed forces in the country, with one full-time officer for every 450 people in its 566,000 population.

Mr Veale said: "Past mistakes, failures of leadership and failures of moral courage drain resources and take officers off our streets.

"Let's not pretend there have not been significant failures of leadership historically at Cleveland Police at the very highest level. This will not be repeated on my watch. Past leaders have let these brave officers down. They have failed to show the courage and tenacity required to support front line colleagues.

"Those who say that the police service has had a culture of blame where risk aversion has been debilitating and impaired the trust and confidence of leadership in rank and file are right. This will not happen in my force."

Cleveland has the seventh-best ratio in the country of full-time officers to people, but the force has still seen its budget cut by £25.5m and lost nearly 400 frontline officers since 2010.

However, Mr Veale said it was unfair to compare an area with the challenges of Cleveland to a more rural, quiet force area.

"There are some that claim the funding formula is fair," he said. "How can it be fair when the most vulnerable, those most at risk, are penalised just because they live a particular town or community? All areas are not the same. All areas do not face the same problems."

He added: "In all of this we must not forget that we are part of a proud heritage, a heritage stretching back further even than the formation of the modern police service. We have a responsibility to those that came before us to serve with pride, lead with conviction and embody the best characteristics of British policing; fair play, equality before the law and justice for all.

"By leading with courage, and I will lead with courage, we can ensure that we do more than simply avoid the mistakes of the past. We can, in this small corner of England, represent all that is best, all that is great, about policing."