News: Flintoff escapes driving ban for speeding because he has to drive a fish and chip van

ANDREW “FREDDIE” Flintoff, the former Lancashire and England cricketer, has escaped a driving ban after his solicitor argued that withdrawing his licence would cause him “exceptional hardship”.

Flintoff, 36, already had nine points on his licence and had he received three points for his latest offence, would have faced an automatic ban.

Magistrates heard that the cricketer was photographed by a speed camera travelling at 87mph in his Bentley GT on the M6 in Linstock, Cumbria last January

However, after Flintoff’s solicitor, Michael Neofytou, told them that losing his licence would have an adverse effect on the organisations and charities he supports – including a tour of the UK and Ireland in an eco-friendly chip van for a television programme. Eventually, magistrates decided not to award points and instead fined him £330.

After passing sentence at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, chairman of the bench, David Johnson, warned Flintoff he would not be able to use the same reasons in court if he broke the speed limit within the next three years.

Flintoff has been caught speeding four times in the past three years. In 2008, he enlisted the help of Nick ‘Mr Loophole’ Freeman to fight a speeding ticket after he drove a VW at 87mph in a 50mph zone. The case was thrown out of court in just 41 seconds.

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