A MAN who impersonated a police officer to "terrify" two young boys has been warned he faces a prison sentence.Sudbury magistrates heard Christopher Addison, 27, tried to pull one of the boys towards his car before witnesses intervened.

A MAN who impersonated a police officer to "terrify" two young boys has been warned he faces a prison sentence.

Sudbury magistrates heard Christopher Addison, 27, tried to pull one of the boys towards his car before witnesses intervened.

Addison, of Quinton Road, Needham Market, pleaded guilty to impersonating a member of the police force and putting the youngsters in fear or provocation of violence in September last year.

Anita Addison, prosecuting, said the two young boys had been walking through Bramford when Addison had pulled up beside them in his Ford Escort car.

She added Addison had told the boys, who were aged 11 and 12, he was a police officer. He claimed to be following up reports of property being damaged in the village and asked for their names and addresses.

When one of the boys refused to answer some of Addison's questions, he got out of his car and told them he would have to arrest them.

Addison then grabbed one of the boys and tried to pull him towards his vehicle, which had a door open.

The court was told two teenage girls had seen the incident and Addison had driven away when they had approached him.

They told police they had seen one of the boys crying, while Addison had been trying to pull the other towards his car.

In statements to the police, both the young boys said they had been terrified and shaken by Addison's actions.

David Stewart, mitigating said: "This is a serious and strange offence. This is a man who has had problems."

Magistrates agreed to adjourn the case for medical reports, but warned Addison only custody would be a sufficient sentence. He was given unconditional bail to reappear in court on March 24.