Footballer Lee Bowyer failed to appear at court today to be sentenced for a 112mph speeding conviction.

He had been summoned to appear at Bedlington Magistrates Court to be sentenced after he was convicted in his absence last month.

At the hearing on September 23 magistrates said he had to turn up at court yesterday to be sentenced.

But instead, his solicitor had sent a letter asking for the case to be re-opened as Bowyer had been unaware of the proceedings against him until he read about it inthe press.

The letter stated that Bowyer intended to plead not guilty to the 112mph speeding charge.

In the letter it explained that the property at which Bowyer was residing had a secure letter box and that the Newcastle United player had only received the key after September 23 and had learned of his conviction in the press.

Prosecuter David Thompson opposed the application to adjourn and said the case should not be re-opened.

He said: "There has been no mistake in law here, there is no evidence that the facts of the case are not correct, in fact Lee Bowyer is saying he has not received his summons, the burdon is on him to come to court and say he has not.

"He is not here, he has not given evidence before the court, he has not given evidence on oath, he has not appeared at court as directed. The case should not be re-opened."

However, magistrates agreed to re-open the case and adjourned it until November 9 for a pre-trial review.