A POLICE chief has criticised an online prankster who had a brush with the law after pretending to steal exhausts from cars in Bradford.

Speedo Shy, whose real name is Shayan Shayegani, visits cities and records pranks which he then posts online.

In the latest video, called Stealing Car Exhaust Part Gone Wrong, Speedo and fellow joker Lee Marshall pretend to steal exhausts from vehicles parked in a multi-storey car park in the city.

The duo then make out they are trying to thieve the exhaust from a police car, parked at Forster Square Station, but officers failed to see the funny side and are read their rights by Rail Response officers.

Speedo tells them 'It's just a joke', as the prank backfires, but when police arrive they also question the duo's story and Lee is fined for swearing.

While waiting for officers to decide his fate, Speedo acts up for camera, pulling various poses, before climbing into a small tent to wait.

The video has already had more than 15,000 views on YouTube since it was uploaded on Sunday.

But the prankster's actions have been condemned by police chiefs, who say it is a waste of officers' time.

The chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation Nick Smart said: "Officers have better things to do than waste time with pranksters who do things like this.

"It is something that we could do without whatever the motives of the people who do them are.

"Officers are busy enough dealing with victims of crime and criminal cases."

Speedo, originally from Canterbury, Kent, said: "We did not want to waste the police's time. They have got to do what they've got to do.

"Getting stopped by the police has not put us off doing any more videos. I always explain to the people featured on the videos afterwards what we are doing it for.

"Bradford is the best place for reactions."

This is not the first time the 21-year-old University student has filmed in the city. His previous pranks in Bradford have included posing as a homeless man and giving people who offered him money £20.

Other Bradford videos included one where he started a pillow fight with random strangers in the city.