Spanish National Police have arrested a 51-year-old man in Alicante on suspicion of impersonating a public official after allegedly posing as an officer to “have a laugh”.

Officers from the Citizen Security unit said they saw a vehicle on a public road using a blue rotating light to stop another car. Believing it to be a police vehicle, they pulled up alongside it. The driver then accelerated away while removing and switching off the light.

Police followed the car and stopped it a short distance away. The driver appeared visibly nervous. When asked whether he was an officer, he admitted he was not and said he had only wanted to joke because the other driver had run a red light.

A search of the vehicle uncovered two jackets bearing police emblems in the boot. Officers concluded that he had used police-style equipment and clothing to carry out acts reserved for law enforcement. He was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a public official and has been placed before an investigating court in Alicante.