A photographer says he snapped the official car when he saw it broken down at the side of the road.

He was then visited by a man claiming to be a detective who "confiscated'' the photo.

The plain-clothes "detective'', who did not show ID, told him he had broken a law against taking pictures of Lord Waddington's car.

But yesterday Police said they had no knowledge of such a visit made by an officer.

And there was no law against taking such a picture, they said.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning said there was a record of the Daimler breaking down on Trimingham Hill.

"But we have no knowledge whatsoever of a Police officer going around to retrieve a photo.

"In any case I don't know why they would, because it's not an offence to take photos of the Daimler.

"I've spoken to the heads of the various departments where detectives are involved and no-one has any knowledge of it.'' The whole thing was a mystery, P.c. Venning said.

The photographer, who has asked not to be named, says he saw a Policeman with the car, leaning against the door and checking the engine.

He assumed the officer had got his address by looking up the licence number on his car.