Man arrested after driving erratically fails to convince officers over ID from ‘Errant Republic of Menda Lerenda’

A Spanish man who had eaten hash cakes before he was pulled over by police for driving erratically has been fined €2,001 (£1,680) after failing to convince officers he had immunity because he was a diplomat for an “individual and mobile” republic.

Guardia Civil officers in the northern Spanish region of La Rioja ordered the 28-year-old to pull over after noticing that his Volkswagen Golf was zigzagging across the road and that he was on his mobile.