TWO police officers and a retired sergeant have appeared in court charged over alleged links with an international drugs dealer.

Detective Sergeant Ian Weedon, Detective Constable Paul Hardy and retired Detective Sergeant James McSorley were jointly charged with conspiring with another person to commit misconduct in a public office, between June 1996 and July 1997.

The charges were brought following an internal investigation, codenamed Operation Teak, which was launched in the summer of 1996 by Cleveland Police, supervised by the Police Complaints Authority.

The inquiry investigated alleged links between a number of police officers and drug-dealing police informant Brian Charrington, of Middlesbrough.

Det Sgt Weedon, 45, of Stainton Road, Billingham, was later suspended.

Det Con Hardy, 41, of Station Road, Heighington, County Durham, had been on secondment with the National Criminal Intelligence Service. He has now been suspended.

Det Sgt McSorley, 53, of New Grange Farm, Elton, Stockton, retired in 1999.

All three accused spoke only to confirm their names and addresses during the three-minute hearing, at Teesside magistrates' court.

They were all granted unconditional bail to appear at Teesside Crown Court, on May 24.