BMW driver sped at 91mph through 30mph County Durham village 'because he was late for work'
A BMW driver who sped through a residential area at 91mph has received a 15 month driving ban.
Mark Bruce was clocked by a police speed camera van travelling at more than three times the 30mph speed limit in Haswell Plough, County Durham, last July.
The speed was so severe that the van's civilian operator immediately referred the case to officers in Durham Constabulary's Roads and Armed Policing (DRAP) Unit.
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Bruce, 44, of Shotton Colliery, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and when interviewed, said he had been speeding because he was late for work.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and when he appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on January 8, was banned from driving for 15 months and fined £416.
He will also have to pass an extended driving test when his ban ends and will also have to pay another £251 in court costs.
DRAP Inspector Andrew Howarth said: "There is never an excuse for speeding, but 91mph in a 30mph zone is ridiculous. Thankfully no one else was injured as a result of Bruce’s dangerous driving but this could easily have been a different story.
"We know speeding is a contentious issue but limits are there for a reason and we will never stop pursuing those who put others at risk through their selfish actions."