A firearms policeman who flipped a patrol car over in a "freak accident" has admitted driving without due care and attention.

Crawley magistrates heard how PC Anthony Crayford, 47, was on a night shift when he clipped the wheel of a parked car, causing the patrol vehicle to flip and land on its roof.

He told the court the crash was a "momentary lapse of attention" in a "freak accident" at 4.30am on February 20.

The court heard how the angle of the wheel sticking out from the parked car caused the patrol car to flip, even though PC Crayford was not speeding.

Neither he nor passenger PC Russell Dean were injured, despite the car landing on its roof in the middle of a residential street in Lewes.

Crayford's supervisors wrote letters to the court attesting to his "some 20 years of exemplary service" as a police officer.

Adam James, defending, said: "This is just an embarrassing accident. Had it not been for the unusual circumstances the damage would have been reasonably less.

"It was just a freak accident."

Passing sentence, presiding magistrate Peter Smith said: "We have listened to the facts in this rather unusual and quite rare accident and we are of the view it was just a momentary lapse of attention."

Crayford was given a 12-month conditional discharge, four points on his licence and ordered to pay £60 court costs.

Crayford was publicly mocked on social networking website Facebook after the crash.

One reader wrote: "If this had been some young man we would have had it rammed down our throats about the scourge of teenage drivers. But, we didn't have to worry about this crash."