The Cleveland Police officer whose allegations triggered the suspension of Zero Tolerance policeman Ray Mallon has been dismissed, it emerged last night.

Detective Inspector Russ Daglish, together with Detective Constable Brendon Whitehead, were sacked following a disciplinary hearing.

The hearing centred on the disappearance of a central heating boiler from a lost propery store in Middlesbrough police station and claims that the boiler was fitted at the home of Det Insp Daglish.

In February 1999, Daglish, 41, and Det Con Whitehead, 36, were charged with conspiracy to steal and were suspended.

But their £500,000 trial collapsed last year at Hull Crown Court after a judge angrily reprimanded Cleveland's Chief Superintendent, Kevin Pitt, for submitting a weighty document on the eve of the trial.

In a short statement, Cleveland Police said last night: "Following a disciplinary hearing presided over by Mr Steven Pilkington, Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, two officers have been dismissed from the force."

The officers could not be reached for comment last night.

Det Insp Daglish was Ray Mallon's right-hand man when he became head of Middlesbrough CID in 1996.

But after the October 1997 launch of Operation Lancet - the mammoth investigation into corruption sparked by allegations that prisoners were given drugs in exchange for confessions - Mr Daglish made allegations against Mr Mallon, who was then suspended.