The notice of intended prosecution was sent by South Yorkshire Police to toddler Ayesha Khan at her home in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

But when her mum Sharna contacted police to say there must have been a mistake, she claims she was told if the £60 fine was not paid someone would have to make a court appearance.

Mrs Khan said: "Ayesha is only two, she can not even reach the pedals of a car and can only just ride her bike."

Ayesha's alleged offence was caught on a speed camera back in May on the A638 York Road, near Pipering Lane in Doncaster. But the family say they were in Huddersfield at the time, and the ticket is for a car with a different registration to the one they own.

And both parents fear there may be a more sinister overtone to the case if their daughter's identity has been stolen.

Mrs Khan said: "At first I assumed someone had been caught for speeding and just given a false name, but the ticket was issued from a speed camera.

"If the car that was speeding is on the police system registered to Ayesha then they would have needed her details to insure and register the car."

Dad Mohamed, 32, said: "Ayesha has not even left the house on her own yet. If there is an ID fraud going on I want the police to help us get to the bottom of it.

"I do not want anything on any records that may harm her future - that must not happen."

Chief Inspector Ian Bint, head of road policing at South Yorkshire Police, said: "There has been an ambiguity in the information supplied to us that caused the notice of intended prosecution to be issued to Ayesha Khan.

"This is beyond our control and we apologise for any inconvenience and distress caused to the Khan family.

"We are satisfied that there has been no deliberate attempt by anyone to mislead."