A POLICE officer has been banned from driving and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community work after admitting dangerous driving. The Cambridgeshire policeman ploughed into the side of a car leaving the driver in need of five stitches to a hea

A POLICE officer has been banned from driving and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community work after admitting dangerous driving.

The Cambridgeshire policeman ploughed into the side of a car leaving the driver in need of five stitches to a head wound and himself with a broken nose.

PC Indarjit Singh, a trained response driver, had failed to notice road markings when he overtook a row of vehicles in his police car on the A47 at Guyhirn near Wisbech.

He hit the back of a car turning right into the yard of Ken Thomas Ltd, spinning round Mark Ward's Rover, and leaving lorry driver Mr Ward injured and needing four weeks off work.

Appearing at Wisbech courthouse today the 25-year-old officer admitted he drove a police car dangerously on the A47 on March 23.

He was banned from driving for 15 months and must take an extended driving test at the end of the ban. He was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and pay �85 costs.

Prosecuting, Michael Tindall said PC Singh was not responding to an emergency call when the collision happened around 5.40am.

Mark Ward and Shane Elston were in their cars waiting to turn right when the police officer overtook a Royal Mail truck and a tanker behind them.

"As Mr Elston entered the filter lane he was aware of another vehicle overtaking," said Mr Tindall.

Mr Elston's statement said: "I realised the vehicle involved in the over taking manoeuvre was a marked police car, I had a sick feeling as I saw the Rover turning right."

After the crash, Mr Ward needed five stitches in a head wound; he suffered lower back pain and was off work for four weeks.

PC Singh told investigating officers he had overtaken two vehicles, and failed to see the cars in front of them.

Mitigating, Tom Godfrey said the officer passed the standard police driver's course in 2004; and passed a three-week response course in 2005.

"He is a respected and competent police officer who on this occasion made a grave and dangerous mistake which he accepts.

"He had dropped a prisoner off at Wisbech and was making his way back towards Peterborough.

"He was driving properly, he was not tired in any way, but he failed to notice the arrows on the road.

"He went to overtake vehicles in front of him, he was performing that manoeuvre and realised he was in a cross hatched area. He realised the car on front was indicating to turn right.

"He should have seen the arrow and should not have tried to overtake."

PC Singh's nose was broken by his police car's air bag; he has since been diagnosed with depression and has not been allowed to drive a police car.

"He feels ashamed of what happened on that day, that a man suffered injuries as a result of his driving," added Mr Godfrey.

After the court case, a police spokesman said: "A misconduct investigation will now be conducted by our professional standards department.