A CRIMINAL case put together by a corrupt police officer had to be dropped when top lawyers learned about the officer’s double dealings.

Philip Berry, aged 43, sold an A-to-Z book of drug dealers and police informants to convicted drug dealer Gary Knox in return for a £20,000 BMW and football tickets to watch Bolton Wanderers.

Following his arrest in July 2008, a far-reaching inquiry was launched by Greater Manchester Police’s Internal Investigations Unit in which 47 other officers were questioned about their conduct — but none, apart from Berry, were found to be corrupt.

However, seven officers were given “informal advice”

because they were not logging seized property correctly.

During the course of the probe, lawyers were called in to look over pending criminal cases which Berry had prepared while working in Bolton’s drugs unit and one case had to be abandoned.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “In September 2008, an Internal Investigation Unit investigation was launched to look at possible corruption within the former Bolton Drugs Unit.

“This concluded there was no identifiable corruption within the unit and Phil Berry was acting alone.

“Forty-seven officers were investigated, and no corruption was found.

“However, seven officers were given informal words of advice and two formal words of advice for not using the property system properly.

Recommendations were put forward to improve the handling of seized property, including better training for officers, which have been adopted forcewide.”

The spokesman added: “Contact was made with the Crown Prosecution Service at Bolton and they reviewed Berry's outstanding cases.

As a result of that review, the decision was taken that one other case should be discontinued.”

As reported in The Bolton News, Berry was jailed for four years in March after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and was released from jail two weeks ago, having served half of his sentence.

Yesterday, The Bolton News revealed that Greater Manchester Police has launched a bid to stop him receiving his pension which could be worth around £40,000.

Knox, aged 33, of Seathwaite Road, Farnworth, has a long criminal record, including two convictions for drug trafficking and was jailed for six years on Friday after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.

Former PC Berry, of Oldstead Grove, Deane, first learned of Knox while working undercover in Bolton’s drugs squad.

The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to seize cash from Berry under proceeds of crime legislation, as his only available asset was the BMW which Judge Peter Lakin ordered must be sold, with the cash going back to GMP to help in its fight against drug related crime.