Police warned the public to avoid the wrong unmarked police car after one was stolen from outside a sleeping policeman’s house.

On Friday, Essex Police issued a correction saying that the blue Skoda Octavia with flashing lights that they told the public was being driven by an imposter was in fact a grey Skoda Superb Elegance.

Police have said that there have been no incidents reported of someone refusing to pull over to an unmarked car correctly being driven by police as a result of the misinformation.

The Metropolitan Police car was stolen from outside an officer’s Doddinghurst, Brentwood, home as he slept on Thursday just before 12.30am.

A burglar broke into his home and stole the keys to the car before driving off in the car that has blue lights and a siren.

A police spokesman said: “We want to make motorists aware that this car is not being driven by a police officer and so they should not pull over if requested to do so by the driver who is probably the individual who stole it.”

The vehicle has a DE12 registration plate.

Anyone with information should contact police on 999 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Unmarked police car stolen from sleeping officer’s Brentwood home