Former Leeds city traffic cop Joe Lee is now officially a model policeman – because his old police car has been turned into a Corgi car, complete with his former number plate and his name on the side.

The MGB Roadster, registration 304 FUG, which he drove in the 1960s, will be available later this year.

Mr Lee, 77, who lives in Beeston, had his car turned into a collectable after a chance meeting .

He said: "I had been in Harewood at a rally for old MG cars and I was talking to a lady there from the MG Owners club. I agreed to send her a picture of me standing in front of my old MGB.

"It was taken outside my old house on Kellett Crescent in Lower Wortley just after I'd got the car."

The woman to whom Joe had given the picture was Andrea Marsden, who was at the time in the process of researching a book on MGs.

She produced MGs on Patrol, which was the first port of call for model makers Corgi when they decided to begin the design process on a new MG car.

Now the car can be seen on the Corgi website – www.corgi.co.uk – and costs £12.99.

The description reads: "MG sports cars were popular with the police for many years as they were agile and comparatively fast. However, the amount of equipment that modern day officers carry means that this type of vehicle lost favour during the 1970s.

"The MGB Roadster... was used by the Leeds City Police during the early 1960s and was driven by PC Joe Lee, BEM (British Empire Medal)."

Ricki Curtis, assistant marketing manager for Corgi, said: "All our models are 100 per cent authentic, we even take colour swatches from manufacturers. We will probably make about 1,500 pieces of this model and it will go to collectors all over the world."

Mr Lee was one of the first traffic policemen to be given the MGB flip top sports cars to use in his job, patrolling traffic in Leeds.

"I joined in 1952 and part of my duties were to cover City Square and Boar Lane. At that time there was PC 105 Tom Elmy, PC120 Alex Barrett and PC681 Nobby Clarke, who shared these duties between them.

"I was a beat man in Millgarth for 11 years. There was nothing doing after 11.30pm in Leeds after the pubs had turned out. The city used to be dead, apart from the occasional street sweeper, cats and rats.

"After uniform, I did a stint with CID in plain clothes, then I went into traffic. Bellevue Road was the HQ, prior to that it had been in Oxford Row and then it became too small and moved to Bellevue in '66.

"In the mornings, we would direct traffic at Call Lane, near the western door of the market. We stood in the middle of the tram track. I remember on a wet day the water used to come down the tracks from the Corn Exchange and we used to get wet through. When the trams went past you got a bow wave of water.

"We wore leggings and gauntlets and did City Square in the afternoon. Standing in the middle was just part of the job. Most motorists acknowledged the fact there was somebody standing there and they saw it was for their own benefit.

"People used to pass us sweets and mints and the YEP man used to throw us a paper as he passed."

Mr Lee, who was awarded the BEM for his contribution to youth and community services, said: "The cars were in civilian colours so it wouldn't be apparent to other drivers they were being followed. There used to be a bell behind the grill and a speaker so we could talk to people and pull them over."

Mr Lee was born in Yeadon, the son of Donald, a tailor and Gladys-May, who was manageress of Meadow Dairy, a local grocer's.

He left school at 14 and by the time he was 18 he was a certified grocer. He joined the police force in 1952 and left in 1982 and is one of the few people to have been awarded the Leeds Medallion for meritorious service for services to youth.

He also served as commanding officer of Leeds Air Cadet squadron for 25 years and is now chair of their welfare committee.

Despite having retired, he remains as busy as ever. The father-of-two and grandfather-of-six is also vice president of the Middleton Railway after serving as vice chair of the Leeds Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

He remembers his time as a policeman fondly, including some unusual incidents .

"I once chased a heifer around Leeds Market after it escaped from the abattoir on New York Street."

With thanks to the MG Owner's Club and magazine editor Richard Ladd, who helped trace the picture of Joe Lee. MGs on Patrol, by Andrea Green, is published by Magna Press.