Black officers 'harassed by Met'

Ch Supt Ali Dizaei was cleared at the Old Bailey in 2003

Leading black police officers were harassed by the Metropolitan Police in an attempt to discredit one of its senior members, a new book has claimed.

Ch Supt Ali Dizaei alleges National Black Police Association (NBPA) files were seized without a search warrant.

In his book, Not One of Us, he claims accountants were then hired to examine the expenses of senior NBPA members.

The Met Police has refused to comment on the claims but said: "We regret he chose to publish the book."

'Serious problems'

In the book - serialised in a national newspaper - Mr Dizaei writes scathingly about a corruption investigation, Operation Helios, launched against him in 1999.

He was eventually cleared of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office at the Old Bailey in 2003.

I don't think we would get the same sort of problems that Ali Dizaei ran into again Ken Livingstone

Responding to the book's claims, a Met Police statement said disciplinary charges were dropped against Mr Dizaei but he had received "words of advice".

These related to two areas where he accepted his conduct had fallen below the standards expected of a police officer, the statement added.

The book alleges the NBPA hired out a hotel for a meeting out of fears its senior members were being bugged by police.

Keith Vaz MP, a former Labour minister, told parliament that the allegations "create serious problems for the image of the Met".

Commons Leader Jack Straw said diversity issues were continuing to be addressed within the force.

But he said those who felt security services had acted "unlawfully" had a right to have their complaints fully investigated.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said the policing culture of the 1990s had been "totally transformed".

"I don't think we would get the same sort of problems that Ali Dizaei ran into again," he said.