SHANGHAI: A traffic cop who skipped work to get a foot massage ended up rubbing his superiors the wrong way.

The troubles for the officer, surnamed Zhang, began when someone posted an article and four photos online showing him walking out of a foot massage parlor, getting into his police car and changing into his uniform on Dec 1.

What is more, Zhang, from Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, illegally parked the police car on the wrong side of the road for an hour and a half.

Monday's article titled "Traffic policeman drives his police car for a foot massage during work hours" was posted on the country's major online forum Tianya, which sparked hot discussion and soon spread to other websites.

Zhang was relieved of his post on Monday.

The Discipline Inspection Commission of the Jiaxin Public Security Bureau admitted the man in the pictures was Zhang.

"Zhang has been working as leader of the traffic police group for four or five years, mainly responsible for investigating traffic accidents. He did a good job. We didn't expect such a thing would happen to him," another police officer who worked with Zhang for many years was quoted by Hangzhou Daily.

This is not the first time netizens have supervised the police service. Also in Zhejiang province, a policeman was caught using his police car to walk his dog earlier this year. Netizens said the officer took his dog for a walk as he drove only a little faster than walking speed.

After an investigation, the policeman was confirmed as the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Wenzhou Public Security Bureau. He was given a warning and deposed from his deputy head post.

Zhejiang Public Security Bureau officials said that citizens could call 110 to complain about the personal use of police cars by policemen.

(China Daily 12/09/2009 page5)