A HEALTH care consultant who made his fourth court appearance for speeding in less than two years has been allowed to keep his licence.

Adrian Lester, 35, who had nine points on his licence from speeding convictions in February and June last year, and March this year, was stopped on June 8 doing 96mph in an Audi A3 on the A1(M) at Allerton Park, near Knaresborough.

When he pleaded guilty to speeding at Harrogate Magistrates' Court, Lester asked the Bench not to ban him because he would lose his job and be unable to pay his £105,000 mortgage and other debts.

Lester said: ''The only thing I can put it down to is rushing around from appointment to appointment. But since this latest incident I have slowed down considerably."

Court chairman John Carter told Lester, from East Ham, London: "You had three convictions in a year and now a fourth one. It is surprising to hear this when your job is dependent on your licence.''

Lester was fined £500 with £45 costs and given five penalty points. The court accepted that banning Lester would cause "exceptional hardship" and allowed him to keep his licence.