The Police Complaints Authority has suspended three more Middlesbrough CID officers pending the result of its corruption investigation.

The investigation, known as Operation Lancet, has already resulted in the suspension of the area's controversial CID chief, Ray Mallon, and four other officers.

Shortly before Lancet began, Middlesbrough CID under the leadership of Mr Mallon became famous as the British pioneer of New York-style "zero tolerance" policing.

Mr Mallon, who picked up the nickname Robocop, boasted of his achievement in rapidly cutting crime.

But allegations that CID officers gave heroin to suspects to get confessions led to the current investigation.

In December, Assistant Chief Constable Robert Turnbull said Mr Mallon had been suspended on full pay while two charges against him were investigated.

One related "to the disclosure of information of a confidential nature about the current investigation into a third party.

"Another allegation relates to activity which could be construed as criminal conduct," he said.

Robert Turnbull: two charges against Mallon

Tony Williams, a member of the Police Complaints Authority, added: "We are investigating serious criminal and disciplinary allegations.

"Both the force and the PCA will take an extremely serious view of any attempt to obstruct this inquiry or interfere with it in any way."

Mr Mallon's solicitor said at the time his client denied both charges and was unfairly banned from speaking about the case.

Since then, the CID boss has annoyed the PCA by resuming a column in a local newspaper.

The announcement of further suspensions for Middlesbrough CID made no mention of how much longer the investigators expected their work to take.
 

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