A man caught speeding and driving without insurance has dodged a driving ban – as it would lead to him “losing his livelihood”.

Mustaq Patel, 38, pleaded guilty to driving over the 30mph speed limit and driving while uninsured in a hearing on June 10 at Wigan and Leigh Courthouse.

Patel, of Bank Hey Lane South, Blackburn, was caught driving illegally on July 18, 2021, in his Volkswagen Polo in Belmont Road, between the Blackburn with Darwen borough village of Belmont and Bolton district of Astley Bridge.

He was speeding and also driving without insurance, the court heard, and magistrates had to consider whether to impose a driving disqualification for the offences.

In the end, magistrates accepted Patel’s mitigation of exceptional hardship, claiming if he lost his licence he would “lose his livelihood and it would affect his family”.

Those were consequences Patel clearly didn’t consider when he decided to get behind the wheel without a valid insurance policy and chose to break the speed limit last summer.

He was spared a driving ban but did have his driving record endorsed with six penalty points.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of £350, cover court costs of £90, and pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £35, for a total amount of £475, which must be paid at £50 a month from July 8.

No separate penalty was imposed for the speeding offence.