A SENIOR policeman heavily criticised by a crown court judge has been sent on an all- expenses paid tour of North America to research ethics.

Last night, the decision to send Chief Superintendent Kevin Pitt on the three-week trip was questioned by Middlesbrough parliamentary candidate Ashok Kumar, who said it affected force credibility.

Last year, Judge Richard Henriques told Chief Supt Pitt he had "shown absolutely no regard for the criminal justice process''.

His comments came during the trial at Hull Crown Court of Cleveland officers Detective Inspector Russ Daglish and Detective Constable Brendon Whitehead, who were accused of stealing a central heating boiler.

Chief Supt Pitt, who was welfare officer for Det Insp Daglish, produced a huge report at a late stage of the proceedings without warning.

Questioning the move, Judge Henriques said it was "guaranteed to delay the trial and waste a vast amount of public money". The officer was forced to apologise for his actions.

The trial, which cost taxpayers £500,000, subsequently collapsed with Judge Henriques calling for an investigation by Cleveland Chief Constable Barry Shaw.

Mr Shaw later promoted Chief Supt Pitt to District Commander of Stockton and asked him to draw up a blueprint for teaching ethics to every force employee.

As part of this, Chief Supt Pitt, who led the much- criticised criminal investigation into suspended Detective Superintendent Ray Mallon, is touring Canada and the US.

Accompanying him is another Cleveland officer, Inspector Kerry Anderson, and former police inspector Colin Dunnighan, now a lecturer at the University of Teesside.

The trip will cost local taxpayers in excess of £10,000.

Yesterday, Cleveland Police Assistant Chief Constable Della Cannings refused to confirm the cost of the trip.

Mr Kumar said: "Is this really the best deployment of police resources?"

In 1997, Chief Supt Pitt led the Operation Lancet inquiry into alleged corruption within Middlesbrough Police, which levelled 400 criminal allegations against 60 officers at a cost to the public of £6m.

Most of the evidence came from convicted criminals, and the Crown Prosecution Service announced earlier this year no charges would be brought.

Seven of the eight officers suspended, including Det Supt Mallon, remain suspended while the disciplinary arm of Lancet - again originally run by Chief Supt Pitt - continues.