BOGUS police officers have searched a parked car while pretending to be working undercover in an East Yorkshire town.

Two men and a woman posing as members of a covert team approached the car and claimed to the passengers they needed to analyse the vehicle because of an alleged incident.

The fake officers then used “police terminology” as they spoke over their mobile phones and refused to show identification, but the car owner drove away from the scene after becoming suspicious.

Humberside Police have now appealed for help to catch the suspects after they said they needed to search the blue Ford Focus, in Market Weighton, between 12.30am and 12.45am last Saturday.

An 18-year-old man and two other people were sitting in the car as it was parked in Finkle Street as the driver of the car talked to a friend in the street.

The two men and a woman approached the car and told the 18-year-old and passengers to get out of the car and empty their pockets.

The owner of the car came back over and asked to see some identification but the trio posing as officers refused.

After a member of the public came over and tried to help, the driver and passengers of the car drove away.

The first suspect is described as being a white man, 35, of stocky build and about 6ft tall. He had short, dark coloured hair with stubble and star tattoos running from his forearm to his wrist. He was wearing a dark coloured raincoat and spoke with a broad Irish accent.

The second suspect is described as being a white male, aged abound 30-years-old, of slim build and around 6ft 2ins tall. He had medium length dark-coloured hair and again had a broad Irish accent.

The third suspect is a white woman, aged between 30 and 35, of small slim build and around 5ft 5ins tall. She had light brown hair that was tied up at the time. She was wearing a grey or blue coloured horizontal striped hooded top and jeans.

Anyone with information should phone Humberside Police on 0845 6060222 quoting log 47 of 14/08/10.