A former personal trainer alleged to have impersonated a police officer in Sheerness has had his case thrown out, after a witness failed to turn up to the trial.

Louis Ahearne, of Stanley Close, London, pleaded not guilty to posing as a PC on August 1.

The trial at Maidstone Magistrates' Court was dismissed yesterday because a witness for the prosecution did not turn up.

Ahearne, 30, who had worked at DHL as a transport manager until May, had already admitted two other charges - to being behind the wheel of a Vauxhall van in Leysdown while disqualified and without insurance.

Joe Tarbert, defending, insisted Ahearne had not been driving unsafely.

He explained he was on remand for other matters and therefore his offences could not be dealt with by a community order.

Prosecutor Piers Restell said: "These offences speak for themselves. Officers targeted that vehicle for a very specific reason. He pulled over and the defendant initially gave a different name because he was disqualified."

Ahearne was banned from driving for a year and given a conditional discharge for the same period.

Chairman of the bench, Antony Beresford, ordered Ahearne to pay £80 costs and a victim surcharge of £21.

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