POLICE and other officials last night distanced themselves from a call made by Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon to smash down doors and drag out criminals.

Mr Mallon had told street wardens: "I want you to go out there and smash the doors down, tear the door off its hinges if you have to, and drag the criminal out of his house and bring him back to the police station.

"Do not even think about The Human Rights Act. Let your chief constable do that."

His comments were made on Tuesday in front of Tory leader Michael Howard, who was in Middlesbrough to outline how a Conservative government would tackle law and order.

But Barry Hughill, of civil liberties group Liberty, said yesterday that wardens and police community support officers risked breaking the law, by breaking down doors and dragging people out of their homes.

Mr Hughill said: "He is putting them in a position where they could find themselves in court."

Among the guests on Tuesday was Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price, who said yesterday: "Let me make it quite clear, in no way would we tacitly, implicitly, or marginally support any transgression of the law.

"The police are here to uphold the law. It would be a complete mockery of our system if officers were to break it."

He said criminals could expect the police to come looking for them: "If they do not let us in, we will knock down the door and arrest them." But he added: "What is needed is a balance. We will not do anything unlawful, but will be robust in dealing with the criminals of this area."

Cleveland Police Authority chairman Ted Cox said that while the force and the police authority were committed to using all the powers available to tackle crime, "it is equally important to emphasise that we would not support any suggestion that there can be any justification for the police, or any other agency, acting outside the law in dealing with criminals."

Mr Mallon said yesterday: "Under the previous regime, Cleveland Police refused to batter down the door of a Middlesbrough flat in which a father believed his 12-year-old daughter was being held against her will.

"The father was warned he would be arrested if he broke the door down, and was instead taken to the nearest police station to fill in forms.

"In the ensuing two hours, the girl was drugged and raped. Her ordeal only ended when the father returned to the house and smashed his way in. The rapist later received a 13-year sentence.

"That is the reality of the politically correct world which the likes of Mr Hugill want to impose on society.''

He said the police should use reasonable force where necessary: "If that means kicking down a door so be it."

He said Mr Cox should be congratulating the police and wardens for their "sterling efforts" in reducing crime in the town by 11 per cent.