A man who is registered blind and has never driven a car in his life has been accused of a speeding offence - and he was not even in the country at the time.

Mohammed Ilyas Ayub, 38, received a letter from West Yorkshire police stating he had committed the offence after the actual culprit gave false details to the authorities.

Mr Ayub, who has been blind since birth, was in Pakistan at the time of the incident.

Mr Ayub, who is staying with friends in Bradford but who had last visited the city three years ago, is a well-known figure in his community and is the president of a school for the blind in his home town in Mirpur in Pakistan.

He said: "I want to know the person who has used my name, maybe they are abusing my identity.

"When I was first sent the letter telling me about this driving offence, my secretary had to read it to me. I just couldn't believe it, but actually I was also full of anger as I am someone who people respect in the community."

Bradford-based West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, which is responsible for issuing penalties from fixed roadside speed cameras, has been dealing with the matter.

Spokesman Philip Gwynne said it had started an investigation by looking at photographic evidence from the camera following Mr Ayub's complaint.

He said it was thought the driver who had given the false information had subsequently moved to Pakistan and, as a period of six months had elapsed since the offence, he could no longer be prosecuted.

Mr Gwynne said the partnership had reason to believe the man was a taxi driver, who had voluntarily suspended his licence.

He said: "There is a set procedure in cases like this and I can assure you everything that should have been done has been done.

"If anyone gets a notice about a driving offence and says it wasn't them and can prove it, then we will go through the same process."

Mr Gwynne added Bradford Council's licensing department had been informed about the matter and will block any future attempt by the man to renew his taxi licence.

He said: "There is always a minority who will attempt to flout the law and this is why we are so vigilant."

A friend of Mr Ayub, Hafeez Abdul, who lives off Great Horton Road in Bradford, said: "We just want to find out what has happened.

"If people are giving the wrong identity then this could be a bigger problem, especially at the moment where there are so many problems with things like terrorism."

By Ali Davies