Former Birmingham owner David Sullivan claims his reputation has been tarnished by a police investigation into transfer dealings at St Andrew’s.

Sullivan and former Blues chief executive Karren Brady were cleared of any wrongdoing after being arrested as part of Operation Apprentice, an investigation into alleged fraud and false accounting in football.

But Sullivan, who now co-owns West Ham, fears mud will stick to himself and Brady.

The 61-year-old said: “You are in football and you are being treated like you’re a drugs dealer or a bank robber.

“The police had a difficult job to do, they had complaints and they had to investigate them and we’re thankful that, after raiding the club, they could see we had done nothing wrong whatsoever.

“But it does leave a stain on your character. People say ‘no smoke without fire’. I am never going to get a knighthood but Karen might have got something.

“She might not get it now.”

Sullivan and Brady were arrested in April 2009, as part of an investigation into transfer activity involving Birmingham and players represented by agent Willie McKay.

But they were released from bail in August and told they would face no further action.

McKay has also been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Sullivan said: “It took nearly two years and it took a lump of both of our lives. But the police were investigating every possibility, investigating one agent in particular and it was unfortunate that we did buy a few players through that agent.

“So we came under the spotlight when other clubs didn’t. Had we not dealt with that agent then we wouldn’t have been under the spotlight.

“They had to investigate and they looked at two or three transfers in particular and it ended up as an Inland Revenue enquiry.

“It started as a ‘bungs’ enquiry but that was all dismissed within days and it then became an Inland Revenue enquiry into whether the transfers were done above board.

“It was a complicated thing and I had six policemen turning my house upside down.

“It leaves a very bad taste in your mouth.”