POLICE are waiting to speak to Burnley's top scoring striker Andy Payton, right, after a car was stopped for a routine check and the driver ran off.

Sgt Russell Gregory, of Colne Traffic Department, said police stopped a Vauxhall Tigra at midnight on Sunday on Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, for a routine check.

He said: "The officers approached the driver, asked him to get out of the vehicle and they recognised him. He allegedly then ran from the scene before the officers could say anything more. He had not given a breath test."

Sgt Gregory said there had been no accident and the officers were aware of who the driver was, but he was currently ill and is expected to be interviewed later this week.

He said it would be unfair to identify the driver until police had spoken to him and directed further inquiries to Burnley Football Club.

A spokeswoman for Burnley Football Club said she knew about the alleged incident and added "Andy Payton will be speaking to police either today or tomorrow to clear the matters up."

Mr Payton could not be contacted to comment.

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