Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been fined for not wearing a seat belt in a moving car while shooting a social media video.
Lancashire Police said it had released a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of a fixed penalty.
Number 10 said Mr Sunak “fully admits it was a mistake and has apologised”, adding that he would pay the fine.
Passengers not wearing a seat belt when available can be fined £100.
This can rise to £500 if the case goes to court.
The Prime Minister was in Lancashire when the video was filmed, during a trip to the north of England.
The video – to promote the latest round of government “leveling up” spending – was posted on Mr Sunak’s Instagram account.
This is the second time Mr Sunak has received a fixed penalty notice while in government.
Last April, he was fined for breaking Covid lockdown rules – along with Boris Johnson and wife Kerry – by attending the then Prime Minister’s birthday gathering in Downing Street in June 2020.
‘Disregard for the rules’
Fixed penalty notices are a sanction for breaking the law, and mean a fine, which must be paid within 28 days, or be contested.
If someone chooses to contest the fine, the police will then review the case and decide whether to withdraw the fine or take the matter to court.
Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said in a tweet that Mr Sunak was “a total liability”.
A Labor Party spokesman added: “The leveling-up photo-op of the hapless Rishi Sunak has blown his face and turned him into a laughing stock.”
After becoming the second serving prime minister to be fined by the police, the Liberal Democrats said he had “shown the same flouting of rules as Boris Johnson”.
Deputy Lib Dem leader Daisy Cooper said: “From party gate to seat ballot gate, these Conservative politicians are just fooling the British people.
“While they continue to act like it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else, this fine is a reminder that the Conservatives finally get theirs.”
But Blackpool South Conservative MP Scott Benton defended Mr Sunak, saying “everyone makes mistakes”.
Mr Benton said the police should focus on “tackling serious crime in our communities”, adding: “Let’s put it in proportion here. Millions of Britons receive similar fixed penalty notices every year. “
Passengers aged 14 and over are responsible for ensuring that they wear a seat belt in cars, vans and other goods vehicles if one is fitted. Drivers are responsible for passengers under 14 years of age.
Exceptions include having a doctor’s certificate for a medical reason, or being in a vehicle used for police, fire or other rescue service.
