RAY Mallon admits he has become obsessed. After three years fighting to clear his name since he was suspended from duty it would not be surprising if he found it hard to see beyond the mountain of documents he has amassed.

But his latest pre-occupation is a far cry from his unrelenting campaign to be restored to his post as head of Middlesbrough CID.

"I go down the gym in the early afternoons and do 50 minutes training six days a week, sometimes seven," he says. "I'm obsessed at the moment with the Concept Two rower, I'm on it all the time."

After three years in limbo, with no job to go to and no desire for a career change, Detective Superintendent Mallon has had to create his own routine. Even if he did not have his campaign to run it is difficult to imagine him allowing a day to pass by aimlessly. Mornings are spent going over his case, responding to allegations, strengthening his hand. He has paperwork to do, letters to answer, information to absorb. A lot of his time is spent on the telephone, talking to friends and contacts.

After his early afternoon session at the gym, Fitness First in Hartlepool, he goes back to his work. He knows how vital it is to keep on top of the case, to be aware of what his opponents are doing and anticipate their next move.

For many people the experience of being suspended for three years would have proved too much. But on top of this Ray Mallon has had to cope with the pressure brought on by his high profile.

He was once the most famous police officer in Britain, the man credited with introducing Zero Tolerance policing into the country. He was the detective the politicians were fighting over, to see who could be toughest on crime.

But since he was suspended, as part of the Operation Lancet probe into alleged corruption, the 45-year-old has used the determination to clear his name as a way of dealing with the pressure.

"If I gave up the ghost I would feel a lot worse but when you have done nothing wrong and you have truth on your side you can't fail," he says.

"I have become accustomed to the stresses and strains of the situation. I'm not suggesting this situation is easy or I'm enjoying it but you can thrive on a situation because you become so focused and disciplined to what you are doing.

"There are a number of people around me and I would not survive if it were not for them. I'm lucky to have an infrastructure and I have had people who have been prepared to work with me for no money at all. If anything, as the months go by I feel stronger and more enthusiastic in fighting this war. I don't know how I'm going to react when this is all over."

The cost of Operation Lancet so far is getting on for an estimated £6m but is still to produce its first criminal conviction or disciplinary hearing. Earlier this year Mr Mallon was told he would not face any criminal charges.

He is facing 14 disciplinary charges, including neglect of duty, falsehood and prevarication, although there is no sign of the case ever coming to a resolution.

Throughout his ordeal Mr Mallon has remained convinced that he would one day return to the force and his old CID job. Now that conviction appears to be wavering as he contemplates the seemingly never-ending inquiry.

In three years time he will have completed 30 years' service and will be eligible for retirement. A retirement he intends to take.

"I always said I would retire after 30 years' service and I'm running out of time," he says. "The longer the situation prolongs the less chance there is of me returning to the police service. I should be back at work but there are people who don't want me to come back because it would mean a loss of face for them. There is going to be a time when I say that is enough, I have got to get on with my life, but that time has not come yet."

He has had job offers, including one presenting a Roger Cook-style investigative programme, and there have been suggestions he could go into politics.

But while alternative careers are on hold, one which does appeal to him is to become a directly-elected mayor of Hartlepool. Even though he was born and raised in Stockton and still lives in the town, it is Hartlepool which has captured his affections. "It is too early to make any plans for the future but standing as elected mayor of Hartlepool is not something I would discount," he says. "I believe there are some excellent people who are far more qualified than me but the question is whether any of these people would stand.

"Personally, I want the best qualified people in key positions. I want to serve the community, it is not about self-ambition, it is about the community. I owe the public so much for the support they have given me and my family over the last three years so when I eventually leave the police force I want to try and repay them.

"Although I live in Stockton I feel at home in Hartlepool, that is the reason I travel to Hartlepool most days, I am comfortable with the people in the town."

Last year Mr Mallon predicted he would still be suspended in a year's time. Now he makes the same prediction for next year. But he believes his vocation is to be in the police, that is what he is good at.

"Crime reduction to me is not difficult. I just understand it and how it works and wherever I have worked we have always reduced crime."

As well as the pressure of the suspension and the threat of disciplinary action, he claims he has also faced attempts to smear him with allegations he was having a relationship with a civilian working for the Cleveland force, allegations he categorically denies.

But despite the attempts of senior officers, and possibly MI5 as well, Ray Mallon is convinced the truth will eventually emerge, even if it is too late to resurrect his career.

"If people involved in this believe that I intend to quit then they do not know me. My day will come, of that there is no doubt."