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Inspector Mark Doherty became embroiled in a dispute with Alan Hardy, 68, after arresting him in 2015.

In September 2018, in the middle of a civil case between Mr Hardy and his force, Insp Doherty accessed police computer systems to find information on him.

He discovered a record stating Mr Hardy had resigned from Bedfordshire Police to avoid being dismissed and that he held “extremely racist views” – a claim Mr Hardy denies.

Insp Doherty, of Cleveland Police, then repeated those comments in a Facebook chat two months later – a conversation Mr Hardy discovered.

The retired policeman lodged a formal complaint and, in a bid to clear his name, the inspector produced a spreadsheet he claimed to have found by searching the “deep web”. On it were the names of BNP members, their addresses and occupations, including Mr Hardy.

But investigating officers with Cleveland’s professional standards unit discovered Insp Doherty had clumsily added the name himself.

Stephen Morley, representing Cleveland Police, told a disciplinary hearing in Stockton on Tees: “He came a cropper because he has not done a very good job of preparing that false document.” The rows of the spreadsheet did not line up, inverted commas were missing and Insp Doherty added a wrong address for Mr Hardy, the hearing was told.

The deceit was considered so serious Insp Doherty was arrested, his home searched and electronic equipment seized.

He claimed to have shredded and burnt a hard copy of the spreadsheet in his garden and deleted a USB stick. Mr Morley told the panel: “He has tried to dig himself out of a hole. The only explanation, we say, is he thought it was a good wheeze to get himself out of the investigation he was under.”

Insp Doherty first clashed with Mr Hardy in 2015 when he arrested him at Stockton police station.

The officer described Mr Hardy as acting “like a mad dog” and said the arrest – over a matter not divulged to the hearing – was a proportionate response. But Mr Hardy launched a civil action against the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police claiming unlawful arrest.

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While preparing the case for a county court hearing, Insp Doherty trawled for intelligence records on Mr Hardy.

Insp Doherty denies breaching the standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy, confidentiality, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct.

He also denies two charges of passing on restricted information and presenting an altered document to standards and ethics investigators from his force.The hearing continues.

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