Hero Brinkman, the Amsterdam policeman and former MP for the anti-immigration PVV, has been disciplined for breaking police rules, the NRC said on Friday.

Brinkman, who was an MP from 2006 to 2012, was found to have forced a woman to confess to an assault which she had not committed, the paper said. In addition, he faced disciplinary action for accusing public prosecution department officials of lying about the case.

Brinkman, 51, was put on police probation for three years, meaning he will be sacked if he fails to carry out his duties properly for a second time. He was also demoted in rank, the paper said.

The case dates back to 2013 when a woman was hit in the face by a glass during a dispute in an Amsterdam café. Brinkman forced one woman to confess to the crime by telling her there were clear security camera images showing what happened.

When another woman reported to the police two months later saying she was the real culprit, she was sent home.

Lawyer Bart Swier told the NRC it is a wonder that Brinkman had not been sacked on the spot for his role in the affair. Brinkman himself, who has plans to return to politics, has refused to comment.