Policeman, his wife and six lovers

He is the high-profile Scotland Yard officer who walked free from the Old Bailey following the collapse of a £7 million investigation into his conduct.

Superintendent Ali Dizaei, 41, was acquitted of attempting to pervert the course of justice by falsely accusing fellow officers of damaging his BMW. But now details have emerged of his colourful life outside the force.

The man once tipped to become Britain's first chief constable from an ethnic minority had relationships with six women while he was married.

Now one of his former lovers has spoken for the first time and says his wife knew all along. Iranian divorcee Sima Evans said Mr Dizaei claimed he had affairs with the full agreement of his wife Natalie. The picture that emerges is of a senior policeman who took his lovers mainly from the Iranian community in Britain, and a man who took the notion of an open marriage to the extreme.

Mrs Evans told the Evening Standard: "The way he behaves towards women is not something that is acceptable in the Iranian culture, definitely not, but it was an agreement that he and his wife had between themselves. It's not that he's a charmer."

Speaking from her house in Amersham, Mrs Evans said she had known Mr Dizaei and his family "for years". The mother of three, who works as an estate agent in Gerrards Cross, confirmed that the pair had had a relationship several years ago. She said: "We

were very close. We are still in touch."

But Mr Dizaei's ex-wife Sally, a nurse he married in 1981, said she simply wanted to forget all about her former husband. Speaking from the south coast home she shares with her new partner, she said: "He may have done wrong by me and he may get his come-uppance but it was all a long time ago.

I have a new life and I don't want anything to spoil that. I really do not want to think about Ali Dizaei or see him again."

The Old Bailey heard that Mr Dizaei had a string of girlfriends while married to Natalie, including: Kingston University research fellow Dr Elham Hashemi, whom he installed in a flat in Wimbledon and fitness fanatic Nasrin Gamester, who paid for his membership of an exclusive Kensington gym.

He was also said to be close to a fellow police officer, Sonia Campbell, an aunt of supermodel Naomi Campbell.

The court heard he had a relationship with a woman called Roya Hejaz and, on the night his car was vandalised, he had spent 90 minutes in a flat that was being sold by a woman called Mojgan Etemal.

Ms Etemal told the Evening Standard: "I did not have an affair with him. He is a friend. We did a course together."

Mr Dizaei also conducted some of his relationships in a tiny flat above an Iranian restaurant in Hammersmith called Yas. Owner Sohrab Eshraghi said: "He has always had an open relationship with his wife and they have stayed together for the sake of the kids.

"He is like any young man, he is interested in women but what man isn't? To mix that with his job is not really fair."

Mr Eshraghi said London's Iranian community was deeply shocked by Mr Dizaei's treatment and added: "He is like a god, because it's the first time one of us has done so well in the police force."