A police woman let off an uninsured Porsche driver in exchange for his telephone number to flirt with him, a court has heard.

PC Saheena Tegally, 35, allegedly sent flirty text messages to Richard Myerson just hours after she pulled him over in his car in Highgate, north London.

Wood Green Crown Court heard that one of the messages said: "It's really hot - I'm in my bikini".

She was with two colleagues when Mr Myerson was pulled over in his Porsche 911 turbo when she gave him her mobile and told him to return to a police station the next day with his insurance documents.

The next day she told fellow officers that he was actually insured and showed them part of an email chain - leaving out the part explaining that his insurance had expired two months earlier, the court was told.

Prosecutor David Markham told the court: "Her colleagues noted during these moments that PC Tegally seemed to be flirting with the man, laughing and joking, which, on the face of it, appeared unprofessional and inappropriate."

He added: "PC Tegally offered her personal mobile phone number to Mr Myerson as a point of contact."

Soon after Mr Myerson and Tegally began emailing and texting each other, the court heard.

Mr Markham said: "It became apparent that PC Tegally was receiving a lot of text messages."

The court heard Tegally, who worked in the Met's West Hampstead division, was asked in an email by Mr Myerson: "Is it hot in London?"

She responded: "It's really hot. I'm in my bikini catching the sun."

PC Glenn Smith, who was with Tegally when they first pulled over Myserson, told the court: "She was laughing and joking, over-friendly for someone we had just met and were investigating.

"It looked very much like she was flirting with Mr Myerson."

PC Tegally later showed PC Smith documents that apparently showed Myserson was insured, the court heard.

Mr Markham said: "She showed him documents that she had received from Mr Myerson to confirm her assertion that he was insured."

The court heard that when PC Smith wanted details of the driver's insurance, Tegally told him: "Why are you doing the book? He's insured, just rip it up."

Later a routine police document known as a producer was suggested by one of her colleagues - a form which would log the incident, the court heard.

Mr Markham said: "PC Tegally questioned the need for for this."

Mr Myerson was later convicted of driving without insurance, the court heard.

Tegally, who stood in the dock wearing a black blazer and a blue blouse, is accused of concealing the fact that a car driven without insurance had no cover, not revealing an entire email chain showing that the insurance had expired, and encouraging a fellow officer to rip up his notebook containing evidence.

She denies one charge of perverting the course of justice.

Tegally , of London Colney, near St Albans, Herts, has been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the trial.

The trial continues.