120mph M54 dentist spared road ban

A dentist who was clocked by police doing 120mph on the M54 as he raced home from work on his motorbike has been spared a driving ban – because it would harm his patients.

Dr Roger Hadden, who works two days a week at SpaDental in Chapel Street, Wem, was followed by officers on patrol after they saw him speed past them on January 25 this year.

The 31-year-old appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday where he was told, despite having a clean licence, justices were entitled to ban him from the roads because of his speed.

But magistrates opted to instead put six points on his licence after hearing up to 4,000 patients in Wem relied on Hadden for treatment and it would harm them if he was banned from driving.

Mr John Barnett, prosecuting, said police followed Hadden riding at speeds of between 90mph and 120mph between junctions 7 and 5 on the motorway.

The father-of-three, from Birmingham, admitted speeding and using a motorcycle with a tyre less than the minimum tread.

As well as imposing the points on his licence, justices also fined Hadden £1,700 and ordered him to pay £60 court costs and a £15 government victim surcharge.