A BOGUS policeman stopped a woman driver and demanded a £35 fixed penalty fine after accusing her of speeding.

But when she refused to hand over the money, he told her he would let her off with a verbal warning before driving off in a bright yellow estate car, with a flashing blue light attached to the grill.

Now Bury police are investigating what they describe as an "isolated" incident which happened as Mrs Fay Dunbar (30), was driving home from Bury College at 9.05pm.

Her husband David, of Lea Mount Drive, Bury, said: "She was in Heywood Street and travelling just over 20mph when she saw a car with a flashing blue light pull out behind her. My wife came to a halt and this chap said he was a policeman and told her she had been speeding, which my wife denied.

"He then asked her to hand over £35 for a fixed penalty ticket. But my wife's father-in-law is a magistrate and she knew that police did not issue fines in such a way. She refused and this man said he would let her off with a verbal warning."

Mr Dunbar added: "What would have happened if he had accused her of drink-driving and asked her to sit in his passenger seat for a breath test?"

The blond haired man was dressed in a police uniform, minus a tie.

A spokesman for Bury Police said: "A yellow vehicle is not one we would use nor our plain clothes officers. This looks to us as an isolated, one-off incident." Investigations are continuing.