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Speeding driver caught doing 115mph 'was desperate for toilet'

A driver was clocked doing 115mph on the M18 in South Yorkshire. (SWNS)
A driver was clocked doing 115mph on the M18 in South Yorkshire. (SWNS)

A speeding motorist caught travelling at 115mph on a motorway told police he was going so fast because he was “desperate” for the toilet.

South Yorkshire Police said they followed the driver as he raced along the M18 in South Yorkshire after being clocked doing 35mph above the national speed limit by a marked car.

The force's operational support unit said the driver did not notice a marked traffic car tailing him, because he did not check his mirrors for “some distance”.

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When he was pulled over by officers and quizzed about his speed, he told them he was "desperate for the toilet" having travelled from London 165 miles away.

In a post on Facebook, a South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The bit of kit in the picture is in one of our marked cars.

"The reading on the bit of kit came about when said marked car followed another vehicle along the M18 last weekend.

"As much as we would sometimes love to have a cloaking device in our cars, we didn’t need it for this chap.

"Our BMW 530, in high-vis Battenberg, was able to follow him for some distance without him checking his mirrors and seeing we were there.

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"The driver’s excuse? He was desperate for the toilet having driven all the way up from London."

The force said the driver was "off to court" to face speeding charges.

The spokesman added: "Despite his desperation, he seemed able enough to sit with us quite comfortably for 10 minutes while our colleague broke out his pen and spoiled some paper."