COLOGNE - German police apologised on Tuesday to a one-armed man who was fined 25 euros (R363) for having only a single handbrake on his bicycle, not two as required by law.

The man, theatre employee Bogdan Ionescu, was reimbursed the money and "police apologised to him" three months after the incident, a Cologne police spokesman told AFP.

A local newspaper had reported on the case of the over-zealous police officer who fined Ionescu for lacking a right-hand front wheel brake even though the man is missing his right arm.

Ionescu, who had complained to local police about the fine and claimed discrimination, told local newspaper Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger: "This is great news, I am very pleased."

Additional reporting AFP.