The punishment of a speeder who tried to pin the blame on a fictitious motorist should "serve as a deterrent" to anyone who thinks they can dodge justice, police said today.

Speaking after Saif Butt was jailed at Bradford Crown Court, Rachel Wainwright, of West Yorkshire Police’s Prosecutions and Casualty Prevention Unit, said: “Butt thought he could get away with providing details of a non-existent person in order to evade justice and his responsibilities for the vehicle.

“The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and shows that we will not tolerate poor driving on our roads as well as attempts to avoid the consequences."

And she concluded with a message: "I hope it serves as a deterrent to anyone who thinks they can evade justice.”

Car dealer Saif Butt was jailed for 20 months for lying to the police while racking up penalty points for eight speeding offences in the Bradford area.

Butt invented a self-employed car valeter from Kurdistan called Raza Ali to take the rap when he persistently triggered speed cameras in a black Vauxhall Astra.

Butt, 25, of The Knoll, Calverley, Pudsey, at first insisted that the fictitious Mr Ali really existed but went on to admit 11 counts of perverting the course of justice by making false statements in notices of intended prosecution.

Even after his guilty pleas were entered he told his probation officer it was all down to the non-existent Mr Ali.