Road tax dodgers on Teesside have been caught out by a vigilante serving fake enforcement notices.

Official-looking notices have appeared on the windscreens of untaxed cars in Middlesbrough.

Police say the false documents have prompted at least two motorists to 'turn themselves in'.

But officers have warned that while they believe the vigilante is trying to help police, he or she is breaking the law.

Computer skills

The bogus notices carry both the logos of Cleveland Police and the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Police believe the culprit has computer skills and has downloaded information from the Internet.

A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: "Somebody is taking the law into their own hands and trying to do us a favour.

"They are on A4-size paper and look quite professional.

"They look quite realistic and started appearing a couple of weeks ago.

"The annoying thing is that they ask the person to go to the police station with their driving documents.

"We do not really approve of this and the person needs to realise that they are actually breaking the law themselves in doing this."