Police chief gets speeding ban

Britain's top traffic policeman was today banned from driving for 42 days after being clocked travelling at 90mph in a 60mph zone near the Shropshire border.Meredydd Hughes, Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, admitted speeding on the Chirk bypass, near Oswestry, on May 28 this year.

Hughes, who did not appear at Wrexham Magistrates Court today, is head of Roads Policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

He took over the position from Richard Brunstrom - now the North Wales Police Chief - who was notorious for his tough stance against speeding motorists.

Magistrates today disqualified Hughes from driving for 42 days, ordered him to pay a £300 fine, £35 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Hughes, 49, of Victoria Quays, Sheffield, was clocked doing 90mph on the A5 in his Y-reg Audi at 8.17am on May 28. The speed limit on that road being 60 mph.

Miss Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said a police speed laser device clocked Hughes driving on the A5 near Halton towards Oswestry at a speed of 90 mph.

"Mr Hughes confirmed he was the driver but was not eligible for a fixed penalty because of the speed he was doing at the time", she said

Mr Huw Edwards, for Hughes, said: "Mr Hughes has pleaded guilty to this matter. My client was fully co-operative with police and full credit should be given for his guilty plea."

Mr Edwards said his client was returning from a short climbing holiday in North Wales at the time.

He added: "Mr Hughes recalls the road traffic conditions were light, weather was fine and dry and visibility was good.

"He doesn't seek any excuses. He accepts that police have a job to monitor the speed of road users and that he should be appropriately punished.

"Mr Hughes wants to apologise to the courts, North Wales Police and police in general. He knows it is a serious matter. He has held a full drivers licence for 30 years, had two fixed penalties but his licence is presently clean."

Presiding magistrate Brinley Hughes said the offence merited a 42-day ban.