Busted! Policeman is snapped having a drink at the wheel - just days after woman driver claimed she was fined £100 for a single slurp of her Slush Puppie



The officer was driving in central London when he was seen with the drink

The Metropolitan Police patrol car was moving slowly through traffic

Last week Sophie Vaughan, 22, was fined £100 while drinking a Slush Puppie

She had been stationary in traffic but was confronted by four officers

Man who took the photo told MailOnline: 'It's not OK for us - but they can'



A policeman has been caught sipping a drink as he drives his patrol car through London - days after a young driver was given a 'ridiculous' £100 fine for a very similar transgression.

The officer was pictured driving through London today holding a takeaway soft drink at the wheel of his Metropolitan Police car.

A passer-by took the photograph this afternoon on Fitzroy Street in London as the car was moving slowly through traffic.



Thirsty? The officer with the Metropolitan Police was pictured by a passer-by taking a drink as he drove down Fitzroy Street in central London

Scene: The car was photographed moving slowly down the street while its driver took a drink



It comes less than a week after 22-year-old Sophie Vaughan found herself confronted with four officers and a police van after taking a single slurp of her raspberry Slush Puppie.

She was fined £100 and given three points on her licence after she was spotted drinking while stationary in South London traffic.

Miss Vaughan, from Wallington, South London, said: ‘It’s so petty and ridiculous. It was only a tiny sip. I wasn’t even moving.

‘I’m outraged. And talk about overkill – to have four police officers dealing with such a petty thing is a joke.’

However, after being confronted with their own officer's conduct, the Metropolitan Police have said that Miss Vaughan was actually given the penalty for after driving without her seatbelt while using both hands to eat the Slush Puppie.



A spokesman said: 'A female driver was seen driving without a seatbelt and without holding on to the steering wheel.

'She was holding a 'Slush Puppie' in one hand and a straw in the other, using the straw to spoon the ice into her mouth.

'She drove away but subsequently stopped the car in Pound Street and was spoken to by officers before being issued with a fixed penalty notice.'



Penalty: Last week 22-year-old Sophie Vaughan, pictured, was given a £100 penalty for sipping a Slush Puppie while stuck in traffic

Driving away: The vehicle can be seen moving further down the street through traffic

And although she was met by the full force of the law for her breach, the pictured officer appears to have taken a different view of the law.

Sat Dhoot, 31, an IT engineer who works nearby, saw the officer after reading about Miss Vaughan's fine.



He told MailOnline: 'Only a few moments ago I read an article about a driver who was fined £100 by police for taking a single slurp of slush at the wheel of her car.



'To my amazement, I saw this only moments later. It's not OK for us - but they can.'