TWO police officers parked their patrol van on double yellow lines - to pop into a Nando's restaurant for a chicken lunch.

The male and female officers - both in full uniform - were caught on camera leaving their liveried Ford Transit vehicle illegally parked in Manchester city centre. Their 2006-registered van pulled over on Atkinson Street close to a roadside sandwich board sign for a nearby branch of Nando's.

The sign reads: 'Nando's - Putting the chic into Chicken'.

Both officers left the van, parked clearly over double yellow lines outside the back of Bannatyne's gym on Sunday afternoon, and walked into the restaurant.

After examining the menu, they sat at an outside table and spent around 20 minutes basking in the 77F sunshine among other diners while their order was prepared.

One onlooker said: "They were both wearing body armour and short-sleeved shirts.

"The van was parked just round the corner out of sight of the pavement terrace, so the other diners could not see where it was."

The officers were eventually brought their lunch in a large brown paper bag and strolled back to their van parked 100m away on the double yellow lines.

They paused briefly as they walked back to the van, with the female officer showing her male colleague the contents of the paper bag.

When they reached the parked police van, which featured the GMP and Crimestoppers logos, the officers immediately drove away to eat their meal elsewhere.

Motorists who park on double yellows in Manchester can be fined up to £70 or even have their car towed away. Chief Insp Christopher Hill, based at Bootle Street police station, said: "While we do encourage officers on patrol to eat their lunch out in the community, all GMP officers are reminded of their responsibilities when they are parking police vehicles.

"We are now examining the circumstances surrounding the photographs and ensuring all officers are advised with regard to their responsibilities when parking their vehicles."

The incident is the latest in a long line of parking blunders by GMP officers.

In February the M.E.N reported how a cop was given a ticking off for parking his car in a disabled bay on Fountain Street.

The following month we told how an officer was disciplined for parking on double yellow lines as she and a colleague nipped into Tesco.