Britons driving to France this summer have been warned to watch out for criminals disguised as police who are stopping tourists' cars and stealing valuables.
The French police issued the alert after a series of thefts on motorways near the Riviera and other popular holiday destinations in the south of France.
The modern-day highwaymen wear police uniforms or armbands and use unmarked cars with flashing blue lights mounted on the roof.
They have robbed more than a dozen French motorists in recent weeks and are now targeting Britons and other foreign visitors who may be unfamiliar with French police procedures and less likely to have been warned by local media reports. They strike at night, when victims tend to be tired and it is more difficult to identify them as fraudsters.