A SHAMED ex-police officer claims he has been “hung out to dry” by his former bosses after a judge ruled they were wrong to deprive him of almost two thirds of his pension.

Maurice Allen, who admitted misconduct in a public office by selling on guns surrendered to Durham Constabulary, stands to receive a lump sum of almost £40,000 and an annual pension of more than £15,000 a year next month when he reaches his 50th birthday.

Allen, of East Rainton, Houghton-le- Spring, said: “I should be elated I suppose, but I would have come out with a lump sum of £115,000 and a pension worth £2,000 a month if I had retired instead of resigned from the force.

“But I was hung out to dry. Durham Police Authority wanted to take away 65% of my pension entitlement, yet I know of former police officers found guilty of offences such as drug smuggling and sexual assault who only had to forfeit 20% of their pension.”

Allen’s co-accused, Damian Cobain, from Sunderland, had his pension forfeiture reduced from 30% to 10%.

Last week Judge Peter Fox, sitting with two magistrates at Teesside Crown Court, ruled that the authority was wrong to order Allen to forfeit 65% of his pension. Instead, he reduced the amount Allen should forfeit to 25% of what he would have been entitled to had he left the police force with an clean record.

Peter Thompson, chairman of the Durham Police Authority, said: “We have to respect and abide by the decision of the court regarding the pensions of both Allen and Cobain.

“But our decision was made partly to send a strong message to the public.”