Policeman caught 'trying to book his holiday' - while investigating break-in at Thomas Cook (and his car was parked on the pavement!)

But this on-duty policeman provoked fury when he spent 20 minutes in a travel agents chatting to staff while his car was parked on a footpath.

A mum with a tot in a pushchair was forced to swerve around his car as he was inside discussing train journeys

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His bosses insisted he did not book a holiday but admitted he became "distracted" and will face disciplinary action.

Before his attention wandered, he was supposed to be investigating reports of a broken window at the Thomas Cook branch in Gateshead, Tyneside.

Once inside the store he seems to have decided to join customers in taking a seat in front of the travel agent's computer.

With his police car in the middle of the pavement he spent 20 minutes in the shop chatting to staff, last Friday morning.

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Superintendent Neil Minto, of Gateshead area command confirmed the PC, whose name has not been revealed, will now be subject to an investigation and could face disciplinary action.

He said: "Two officers responded to a call about a broken window which was causing a hazard in the strong winds.

"However once inside the premises, one officer seems to have been distracted by a conversation with staff and he will face a discipline investigation as a result."

The PC was caught in the act by enraged taxi driver Andrew Trainer, who said he believes he was in fact inquiring about a holiday.

He was so annoyed he followed the officer into the Thomas Cook shop, where he claims to have heard him talking about train journeys.

Mr Trainer, 39, said: "He was parked up right on the pavement against the travel agents.

"He was totally blocking the street and a woman with a pushchair had to go round the car and into the parking bays at the side of the road."

Mr Trainer, who as a taxi driver has to be especially careful about where he parks his car, was furious with the police officer's apparent disregard for parking regulations.

"At the moment they are blitzing the area with new council enforcement officers who are giving tickets to anyone parking in the wrong place.

"I decided to go in and see what they were doing because I was that angry.

"I had just done one job and the car was parked there and I went on another one and it was still there about 20 minutes later."

Superintendent Minto, however, said he had no problem with the way the officer had parked the car.

He added: "They had parked the car directly below the broken window, intending to reduce the danger to passers-by if glass had fallen into the street.

"I'm satisfied that this was done with the best of intentions."