A DETECTIVE who sued his own force - claiming sex discrimination because they had refused to investigate allegations involving his former partner - has lost his case.

Det Con Gareth Yates alleged he had been placed at a disadvantage amid police failures to probe offences including assault, stalking and sending him malicious messages.

He insisted that a girlfriend reporting similar allegations about a male partner would have seen officers take action, an employment tribunal heard.

DC Yates also contended that his employers had failed to safeguard him or conduct a risk assessment after a meeting with a detective chief inspector.

But an employment judge has ruled that a tribunal has no jurisdiction over the 2013 claims as they were out of time.

The detective's claims had been presented in January 2018, when the last alleged offence, of sending malicious communications, was said to have occurred in September 2016.

Judge Kenderik Horne added: "In all other alleged respects the respondent did not discriminate against the claimant because of sex."

The judge also pointed out that the alleged failure to record criminal offences alleged by his partner, who has not been named, and a further failure to record allegations made by DC Yates and acknowledge the alleged theft of his mobile phone in July 2014, would not have qualified under the Equality Act.

DC Yates, listed as being from Rossendale but who was also said to be living with his parents in Bolton at a previous hearing, lodged the discrimination claims against Cheshire Police.

Lawyers acting for the constabulary had previously attempted to have the claims dismissed on the grounds that they had little reasonable chance of success.

Their representatives admitted that alleged failures to properly record offences had been highlighted in a Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report in 2017 and could not be held to be because of the detective's gender.

The tribunal was also told there were matters which the detective's partner had alleged, which could be recorded as crimes against her, which had also not been detailed, further strengthening the police case.

A Cheshire Police spokesman declined to comment last night on the case of DC Yates, who is still understood to be employed by the force.