A SENIOR police officer claimed two former women detectives concocted lies in a bid to win a large payment from a tribunal.

Detective Inspector Graham Partington accused the women of colluding to tell lies when he gave evidence at the industrial tribunal.

The two ex-Lancashire detectives, Caroline Arrowsmith, from Blackburn, and Laura Burman, from Accrington, are claiming sexual discrimination.

Both were members of a surveillance unit and claimed they were discriminated against because of their sex. They say they were subjected to sexist and lewd comments and were unfairly picked on by senior officers.

They also say the unit was run by a select group of officers who blocked their career progress.

But Detective Inspector Graham Partington strongly denied the allegations when he gave evidence at the Manchester tribunal. He said: "There was banter in the unit but it was light-hearted and I believed it was conducive to a healthy working atmosphere. If there was lewd and offensive behaviour I am sure I would have been made aware of it." He denied he had said women joining his unit should sign a contract promising they would not become pregnant.

He said: "I utterly and completely reject that particular allegation. It is insulting and a downright lie made in collusion with the sole purpose of deluding the industrial tribunal into awarding a large amount of money."

He said Laura Burman and Caroline Arrowsmith had joined in the banter and on one operation had referred to each other as "slag" and "slapper".

On several occasions Laura Burman had been spoken to because she had not completed tasks. Vital pieces of equipment were not purchased and information not passed on to other officers and departments.

Mr Partington added Laura Burman was not the sort of person to take criticism well. On one occasion an officer put up a poster of a woman that Mr Partington thought was inappropriate and he told the officer to take it down.

The hearing continues.

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