A Bradford detective cleared of conspiring to make a false declaration in a high-profile murder case, could still face misconduct proceedings by his force.

Detective Constable Wasim Bashir, 39, had been due to stand trial at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday with another Bradford man, Mohammed Ahmed.

But the case was dropped when the Crown Prosecution Service received new information from the police which led them to conclude it was no longer in the public interest to prosecute.

The officer has been suspended for 20 months and remains so.

In a statement released yesterday, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that the criminal case against DC Wasim Bashir and Mr Ahmed was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service on the grounds of public interest following fresh information coming to light.

“As there are still outstanding disciplinary matters to be considered against a serving officer it would be inappropriate to comment further.

“West Yorkshire Police are proud of maintaining high standards of integrity among their officers and will take action against any officer whose actions fall short of this.”

West Yorkshire Police Federation vice-chairman Andrew Tempest-Mitchell said it had supported the officer, who always protested his innocence, and would continue to support him in any misconduct proceedings.

He added: “He is an experienced detective from the Bradford area, always well respected by his colleagues and who has always had a good reputation.”

Det Con Bashir and Mr Ahmed, 36, of Grange Avenue, Bradford, had denied a charge that between September 1, 2007, and January 5, 2008, they conspired together to knowingly and wilfully make a false statutory declaration.

The men had been charged in connection with the inquiry into the murder of Bradford father-of-four Shazad Talib Hussain, 21, who was shot dead in his car in an alleyway in 2004.

Three Bradford men were convicted of the murder and sentenced to life.