A rally ace looked doomed when he was pulled over by cops tearing along a motorway at 156mph.

But Gary Pudney was saved by pointing out that he was a Newcastle United fanatic and bringing up the name of veteran boss Bobby Robson.

Gary, 32, of Consett, Co Durham, was stopped in Spain driving along the A7 Mediterranean motorway south of Barcelona in a supercar rally.

He was taking part in the Gumball 3000 which started on May 5 in Paris, heading to Marrakech, Barcelona and cannes.

Traffic officers on duty on the motorway near Tarragona, south of Barcelona, were stunned as the high performance cars, including a Ferrari and two Porsches, flashed by them at 156mph.

Mr Pudney, who now lives and works in Hong Kong, owns both a Ferrari and a top-spec BMW sports car.

He said: "We weren't really sure of the speed limit and we thought it was probably the same as the German autobahns.

"So in the end we just decided to go for it and unfortunately, in hindsight, that was not the best thing to do.

"I was kept overnight but the police were fine. They asked me where I was from and I said near Newcastle.

"They didn't get it so I said "Barcelona Bobby Robson's Newcastle."

"At that point all the cops started chanting "Bobby Robson" and "Alan Shearer."

It really broke the ice and they were fine after that, enjoying having a look over the cars.

"The Gumball isn't a race, it's a rally and in fact there is only one prize, which is for the car which most captures the spirit of the Gumball."

Gary said he is still waiting to hear from the Spanish authorities. Five drivers in total were held in police cells.

One of the arresting officers said: "These drivers were racig. They were stopped before the Grand Prix race at Barcelona, just up the road."