AN 86-YEAR-OLD retired school teacher has been banned from driving and ordered to take another driving test after being caught repeatedly speeding.

Norah Lawley, of Coombe Green, near Malvern, admitted speeding in her Ford Focus when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Mond a y.

The pensioner was clocked travelling at 48mph in a 30mph road as she drove on the A4104 Drake Street in Welland, near Malvern, towards Upton at 12.36pm on March 30. It was her fifth speeding matter which meant she could be banned under the totting up procedure.

David Ollivere, defending, said Lawley was a retired teacher and had been flashed by a speed camera travelling at 48mph in the 30mph road.

He said the circumstances of the offence were unremarkable – she had been returning post to the proper recipient which had been delivered to her in error.

Mr Ollivere said she already had four endorsements on her driving licence all for speeding – two on December 5 last year and September 10 last year and two dating back to August 7, 2011 and March 18, 2010.

Mr Ollivere suggested a short disqualification, avoiding the need for a ban under the totting-up procedure (12 penalty points or more requires the court to consider a ban).

Mr Ollivere argued that Lawley lived in a remote and rural area with the nearest shop in Welland, four to five miles away from her. He also said she had four children but only one of them lived in the area and he had to care for his wife who had a severe disability and, if she was banned, Lawley would be reliant on the help of friends for transport.

He said: “For a short disqualification the situation would be manageable but for a longer period would prove somewhat unbearable.”

Deputy district judge DT Noble gave her credit for her early guilty plea but said he would have to take into consideration that this was her fifth speeding matter in a relatively short period of time. He endorsed her licence with four penalty points and disqualified her from driving for six months as a ‘totter’ and until she passes a fresh driving test.

He also fined her £200 and ordered her to pay a £20 victim surcharge and costs of £85.