A CHIEF constable has hit back at claims that comments he made could prejudice the disciplinary hearings of six of his officers.

As revealed in The Northern Echo this week, the Police Federation is taking legal advice on behalf of 20 serving Cleveland Police officers following Chief Constable Barry Shaw's claims of an "empire of evil" at a recent meeting of Cleveland Police Authority.

Mr Shaw said Ray Mallon, the former head of Middlesbrough CID, now running for Mayor of Middlesbrough, had been at the centre of the empire.

The 20 police officers whose complaints have been taken up by the federation include six officers who were suspended from duty following Operation Lancet, the multi-million pound inquiry into allegations of police corruption, which ended without one officer being charged.

However, the six must still answer internal disciplinary hearings and fear those hearings could now be prejudiced.

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate told The Northern Echo earlier this week: "It is an odd comment from someone who is going to sit in judgement on people. It is not giving them a chance to make representations before judgement is passed."

Yesterday, Mr Shaw hit back. A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "Chief Constable Barry Shaw is not sitting on any hearing. All the hearings have been heard by outside chief constables.

"It is badly wrong for Lord Mackenzie to suggest otherwise. He knows full well about disciplinary hearings.''

Chief Inspector Paul Rider, chairman of the Cleveland branch of the Police Federation, contacted federation headquarters days after Mr Shaw made his speech. They have now passed the matter to the federation's solicitors.

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