AN inquiry into allegations of police lies and brutality will release its findings within weeks, it has been revealed.

District Judge Paul Firth made the claims when he threw out a case of threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer last August.

Mr Firth released the accused, Patrick Creaney, 29, of Topaz Street, Roe Lee, Blackburn, on the second day of his trial.

He said the case could not continue because he felt Mr Creaney had suffered at the hands of the police.

Mr Firth also pinpointed six problems with the evidence, including the disappearance of photographs taken of Mr Creaney at the police station.

He concluded by saying he was not sure officers had told him the truth about the incident in Blakey Moor, Blackburn, on December 15, 2002.

Chief Superintendent David Mallaby referred the judge's comments about his officers to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

Deborah Glass, a former investment management regulator, was appointed to oversee the resulting inquiry.

And over the past six months she has been liaising with specialist officers from Lancashire police's professional standards department.

She has also been ensuring their independence as they attempted to conduct interviews with key people involved.

A spokesman for the PCA said he could not pre-empt the report but added: "We are still awaiting the final draft report, which will arrive fairly soon, probably in the next few weeks. "This will go to Judge Firth and the Crown Prosecution Service to look into any possible criminal matters. That is standard practice.

"There is still scope for disciplinary matters."