A BLUNDERING police force overpaid one of its officers more than £20,000.

Now beleaguered Cleveland Police, which is facing a £6m deficit, is asking paymaster Cleveland Police Authority to write off the overpayment.

A report to the authority says the £20,536.10 paid out to the male police officer identified only as 'KSR' was the "result of an unusual set of circumstances".

The force started legal proceedings to get back the money only to find flawed paperwork which would affect any action for recovery.

The report states: "Subsequent inquiries by the force unearthed inconsistencies in documents and that, on the evidence, the authority would not obtain full recovery, if any, of the overpayment."

The officer who was overpaid had been served with a notice of medical retirement in March 1997, to take effect from the following April.

He was then sent a subsequent letter deferring the retirement date after being implicated in an ongoing disciplinary inquiry.

The officer asked for a judicial review and, in July 1998, Mr Justice Collins upheld the retirement date of April, 1997 and ruled the notice of deferral as ineffective. However, the officer had continued to receive his full salary and pension payments up to the date of the judgement.

Lawyers have told Cleveland Police the judge's findings were binding in law.

A meeting of the police authority will be told today that systems have been put in place to prevent the blunder being repeated.

But Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of the authority, said: "I have very serious concerns about this case. I am sure other members of the authority will share my concerns.''

Cleveland Police say full details will be given to authority members at the meeting.