A warning lasts for 12months, another issued in the time will result in the car being seized, round us the release fee i think is £120, or £120 a day, not 100% certain. As said above /\ /\ it covers both you and the car.

I have it from the horses mouth that there is a big push round here to hand out as many as possible, to anyone and everyone deemed to be a nuisance driver.
Wouldn't put it past our lot (one in particular, who most people round here have had the dis-pleasure of dealing with) to give you a warning just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sounds very much the same where you are.

Bad luck indeed mate, but to be fair it does seem like he was just out to get you, after he had seen you with a brake bulb out, genuine mistake, you were then being closly watched in the hope they could pin something else on you. Sounds very unfair and un-necessary the way he went about it though.