An 18-year-old man has been charged with careless driving after video footage of a car allegedly travelling at high speeds in Shropshire was posted on YouTube.

The man was charged after he answered police bail at Telford Police Station yesterday.

Police today said he had been released on bail and was due to appear before magistrates in the county next month.

He handed himself in to police at Malinsgate in Telford after an appeal in the Shropshire Star this year.

West Mercia Police investigated after footage of a car travelling from Shrewsbury to Telford, which was believed to have been taken on a mobile phone, was posted on YouTube.

The video was brought to the attention of police in Shropshire, who began making inquiries to identify the driver in the footage.

Officers received calls after the article in the Shropshire Star about the video, which showed a motorist driving from the Column area of Shrewsbury to Telford.

The video was later removed from the website and the account of the user who posted the footage was deleted. It is unknown if this was done by YouTube administrators or the account holder.

West Mercia Police spokesman Maria Hawkaluk today said: “An 18-year-old man has been charged with careless driving following a police investigation into footage posted on an internet video website.

“It was brought to the attention of police, who began making inquiries to identify the driver. Following an appeal in the local media in January, the man who has been charged handed himself in to Telford Police Station.”