A TEENAGER changed his name so he could pretend to be one of Britain's top policemen.

Sean Dodds, changed his name to Nathan Craik so others would think he was the son of Northumbria Police Chief Constable Mike Craik.

Craik, 19, lived out his fantasy after being turned down by the force for a job, and instead worked as a volunteer at a charity shop.

Whilst working at the British Heart Foundation Shop in Jarrow, South Tyneside, he duped his bosses into letting him leave early so he could work on 'confidential' police matters.

South Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard how Craik, who bought replica police clothing and equipment on Internet auction site eBay, would change into his fake uniform before leaving work.

Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said: "Craik told the manager his dad was Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, Mike Craik, who works in Ponteland.

"He also said he worked for the police but he couldn't tell her what he was doing. He said it was confidential."

She added: "He referred to the fact that he and his partner spent Christmas and new year with the Chief Constable.

"His house was later searched by police in relation to another matter, and they found a police helmet, a warrant card, police badges, a fluorescent jacket, epaulettes, warrant card holder, police equipment, white shirts and black trousers."

Craik pleaded guilty to falsely suggesting he was a member of the police force or special constabulary and one charge of possessing articles of police uniform when he was not a member of a police force, between December 1, 2007, and January 1, 2008.

Magistrates sentenced Craik, of Bradley Terrace, Easington Lane, Sunderland, to serve a six-month community order and fined him £60.

Today his former manager at the charity shop, Joan Blakey, says she felt sick when she found out she had been deceived.

She said: "He came in one day and asked me if I'd seen his dad on Television last night.

"When I asked who that was he said it was Mike Craik, Chief Constable of Northumbria Police.

"Why wouldn't I believe him? He seemed a nice lad and he had the same surname. But I felt sick when I found out he'd been lying. He fooled all of us.

"I've been manager 16 years and had loads of staff and never had a problem until he came along."

Judith Curry, defending, said Craik had psychiatric problems.

She told the court: "He now sees himself as three different people - Sean, who is a bad person, Nathan, who is a good person and would like to be a police officer and also Lee, who is someone who dislikes himself completely."

Superintendent John Chappell, of South Tyneside Area Command, said: "It's against the law to impersonate a police officer and we will take vigorous action against anyone found doing so.

"Unfortunately, it is possible to buy police-type clothing which, at first sight, might look like the real thing and will only be shown as false if it is subject to closer scrutiny.

"This is why we advise people always to ask to see a warrant card bearing the officer's photograph if they are in any doubt about a police officer's credentials.

"Any bona-fide police officer will have no hesitation in showing proof of identity."