PRIESTPOPPLE, HEXHAM, ENGLAND — A man has been fined and ordered to destroy the equipment he used to illegally convert his car into an ambulance.
Police were called by Tyne Tunnel staff concerned at the speed of a vehicle as it traveled through rush hour on September 9, 2015.
Officers called in to the North East Ambulance Service, who confirmed they had no record of one of their vehicles being in the area at the time.
Shaun Scandle, 31, of Priestpopple, Hexham, was detained when he set off his sirens in the tunnel, something even police are not allowed to do.
Scandle pleaded guilty to driving carelessly. He was fined £1,000 (around $1,290) and given nine points on his license.
The judge sitting on the case also ordered Scandle to destroy the equipment he used to create his fake ambulance.
“This may seem like a bizarre story but the reality is Mr. Scandle was putting lives at risk through his behavior on the road,” Assistant sergeant Alan Keenleyside with Northumbria Police told ITV.
“Those working in the emergency services receive specialist training to drive our response vehicles and the public should not try and take that responsibility into their own hands. Mr. Scandle is lucky that he did not receive a driving ban, but hopefully he will think twice about his behavior on the roads following his sentence at court.”