THREE men were arrested after a vehicle posing as a police car drove around Orford pulling motorists over.

A white Skoda Fabia was driven in the area around Grasmere Avenue and Greenwood Crescent with blue flashing lights fitted to the car, performing stops on other vehicles at around 9pm on Saturday evening.

Officers later traced the vehicle to an address in Runcorn, which was raided the same evening.

Both a 25-year-old man from Warrington and a 25-year-old man from Runcorn were arrested on suspicion of impersonating a police officers, drug offences and possession of criminal property.

While a 24-year-old man from Runcorn was also arrested for suspected drug offences, all three have since been released pending further enquiring by Cheshire Police.

Runcorn and Widnes World:

Police smashed the door of the property down during the raid

A force spokesman said: “We received a call tonight regarding a white Skoda Fabia in the Grasmere Avenue area being driven with blue flashing lights – this is not a genuine police car.

“If you find yourself in a situation where you are indicated to pull over by an unmarked police car and you feel unsure or uncomfortable, be sure to follow these tips.

“Stay inside your car, roll down the window and turn on the inside light.

“Unless you are certain it is the police, do not stop – call us on 101 if you can, hands free.

“Drive steadily to the nearest public place, for example a petrol station, where they are open till late and CCTV cameras are in operation.

“If it is a genuine Police Officer, they will have no issue with this – if they are an imposter, they will not want to pursue you knowing there is CCTV in the location.

“Ask to see the police officer’s ID, call us on 101 if you are unsure if you think the person is a genuine officer or not.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the force on 101, quoting incident number IML604767, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.