A ROAD safety charity has criticised magistrates who failed to ban a police officer and international rugby player caught speeding.

PC Susan Appleby already had nine points on her licence for previous driving convictions and faced a ban under the totting up procedure.

PC Appleby, 33, admitted travelling at 74.8mph in a temporary 50mph zone on the A1(M) near Darlington on September 23, last year, as she drove to her parents' house in Newcastle.

Originally from Newcastle, Appleby started her career with the Northumbria Force, before joining the Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

When she was caught speeding, the scrum half, who has 55 caps for England, was on a career break, training for the Women's Rugby World Cup.

Christopher Blackburn, mitigating, said that although Appleby was caught speeding before she resumed her police career in December, she could still lose her job if magistrates in Darlington banned her from driving.

As well as being a semi-professional rugby player, Appleby also coaches rugby sessions for deprived children at inner city schools in Bristol and losing her licence would make this work difficult.

Magistrate Rickard O'Donovan gave Appleby, of Shirehampton, Bristol, four points, but did not disqualify her, because it could result in exceptional hardship if she lost her job. "You are a role model, but this behaviour is not what we expect from a role model. I hope you will remember that," he said.

But a spokesman for road safety charity Brake said the magistrates' decision was unacceptable, as any driver accruing 12 points on their licence should be banned from driving.

"It's an insult to suggest that losing your licence may be a hardship compared to the trauma and loss suffered by those whose friends and family are killed by speeding drivers.

"Even more disturbing is the fact that the driver involved in this case should be only too aware of the horrific consequences of crashes involving speed."

After the hearing Appleby said: "I'm relieved I can keep my licence. I don't know what the outcome of the disciplinary will be at work, but I will be able to carry on with my coaching, which I'm pleased about."

Appleby is in the line-up for Saturday's game in France for the Women's Six Nations rugby tournament.