Politics

Dutch police arrest man impersonating Boris Johnson on drink driving charges

Police in the Netherlands have arrested a man claiming to be Boris Johnson.

Officers were called to a car crash on a bridge near the northern city of Groningen shortly after midnight on Sunday.

They found the car abandoned but later discovered the driver standing on the Emma Bridge.

He possessed a driver’s license with a picture of the former prime minister, as well as his correct birthdate of 19 June 1964.

However, it is valid until December of the year 3000.

“The person could not identify himself and refused to undertake a breathalyser test,” police spokesman Thijs Damstra told the AFP news agency.

“Inside, police found a fake driver’s licence belonging to Boris Johnson.

“As far as I’m aware, the real Boris Johnson was not in the Netherlands at the time.”

politie_groningen_centrum/Instagram

On Instagram, the police force added: “Unfortunately for the person, we did not fall for this counterfeit.”

The 35-year-old man who was arrested is reportedly from the town of Zuidhorn, west of Groningen.

It was unclear whether the Boris Johnson impersonator also holds Ukrainian nationality.

A former Russia correspondent working for the Dutch public broadcaster NOS said such fake licences could be bought in tourist shops in Ukraine.

“I have [seen] them from [former German chancellor Angela] Merkel and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, among others,” Kysia Hekster tweeted.

Related: Political biographer says Johnson ‘absolutely did not’ believe in Brexit

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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