Police officer conviction quashed

Mr Alam continued to protest his innocence after being jailed

A police officer who claims he was set up for a crime he did not commit has been cleared by the Court of Appeal.

Former Cleveland Police constable Sultan Alam, 45, was jailed for 18 months in 1996 for conspiracy to steal motor vehicle parts.

But the father-of-two said he was targeted as he had brought a racial discrimination case against the force.

On Monday, Lord Justice Moore-Bick ruled that police officers had deliberately suppressed evidence.

He said that in the light of new evidence relating to police misconduct the court was satisfied that the conviction was unsafe.

Mr Alam, who joined Cleveland Police in 1984, made his discrimination claim in 1993 - a year before he was arrested.

Serious doubt

After being jailed at Teesside Crown Court, he continued to protest his innocence and senior officers from neighbouring Northumbria Police were brought in to investigate his allegations.

Sitting at the Court of Appeal with two other judges, Lord Justice Moore-Bick ruled that police officers had "deliberately misled" the court "in order to suppress evidence".

He said information in 21 witness statements made it clear that police "deliberately concealed some important material from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and from prosecuting counsel", also making it inaccessible to Mr Alam's defence counsel.

Chief Constable Sean Price has apologised on behalf of the force

Mr Alam, of The Avenue, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, said he wished to rejoin the police force.

He added: "My life has been in limbo for thirteen long and painful years.

"I will now pick up the pieces of what's left and try to build a better future, especially for my children, who have only had a part-time father for far too long."

Sean Price, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, said: "Neither myself nor any of the current Association of Chief Police Officers team were in post at the time of these events.

"But it is only right that I, as Chief Constable, apologise on behalf of the force to Mr Alam for what happened."

The force would support Mr Alam in his wish to return to police duties, he added.

In 2004, three Cleveland Police officers and a former detective were accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but the charges were later dropped.