Story by Telegraph reporters
Paul Scholes, a former England and Manchester United footballer, has been banned from driving for six months after racking up two driving convictions in two days.
The former midfielder, 51, was caught speeding in a Range Rover in March while on a late-night drive through Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire Police prosecuted him after his car had been recorded travelling at 37mph on a 30mph stretch of residential road.
Scholes was also prosecuted by Greater Manchester Police after a Mercedes registered in his name had been driven at 49mph in a 30mph zone in November, and he had failed to respond to two police letters asking for confirmation of the driver’s identity.
The cases resulted in hearings on two days last week, when Scholes was handed a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay fines, costs and court fees totalling £1,472.
A court official said Scholes, whose case was processed in private hearings under the fast-track single justice procedure, had not entered pleas and had been convicted in his absence.
Caught speeding at 11.30pm
Court documents show the Range Rover was caught speeding at just after 11.30pm on March 3 on the A649 Halifax Road near Cleckheaton. Police said Scholes had replied to a notice of intended prosecution, confirming he had been the driver.
The court papers noted that he could not be offered the chance of an out-of-court settlement with a speed awareness course, because he was a “totter” – meaning he had penalty points on his licence and could potentially receive an automatic ban.
In the second case, his Mercedes exceeded the speed limit on the A670 Mossley Road near Ashton-under-Lyne at 11.10am on Nov 14. Police said two letters had been sent to his home and “no reply has been received”.
At court, the force dropped the speeding allegation, but continued to prosecute Scholes for failing to reply to the letters.
On Aug 12, at Bradford magistrates’ court, he was handed a six-month driving ban for the speeding offence, along with a £220 fine, £120 costs, and an £88 victim surcharge.
The next day, at Manchester magistrates’ court, Scholes was fined £660, had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points, and was ordered to pay £120 costs and a £264 victim surcharge.
