Paul Scholes banned from driving after being convicted twice for speeding in two days

Former Manchester United player Paul Scholes has received a six-month driving ban after receiving two motoring convictions within the space of just two days.

The 51-year-old ex-midfielder was caught exceeding the speed limit while behind the wheel of a Range Rover in March during a late-night drive through Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire .

West Yorkshire Police brought a prosecution after the vehicle registered to Scholes was clocked travelling at 37mph on a 30mph residential road.

The former England and Man United star was also prosecuted by Greater Manchester Police after a Mercedes registered in his name was caught driving at 49mph in a 30mph zone in November last year.

Scholes was then prosecuted for failing to respond to two police letters asking for confirmation that he had been the speeding driver.

The two criminal cases culminated in hearings on two days last week, when Scholes was handed a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay fines, costs, and court fees totalling £1,472.

A court official said Scholes, who was prosecuted in private hearings under the Single Justice Procedure, did not enter pleas to either of the charges he faced and was convicted in his absence.

Scholes played 499 times for Manchester United and won 66 England caps in a trophy-laden career which included 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cup wins, and two Champions League triumphs.

Court documents obtained by the Press Association show Scholes’s Range Rover was caught speeding at just after 11.30pm on March 3 on the A649 Halifax Road near Cleckheaton.

Police said the former footballer replied to a notice of intended prosecution, confirming he had been the driver.

And the court papers noted that Scholes could not be offered the chance of an out-of-court settlement with a speed awareness course as he is a “totter” – meaning he already had penalty points on his licence and was now in line for an automatic ban.

In the second case, Scholes’s Mercedes broke the speed limit on the A670 Mossley Road near Ashton-under-Lyne at 11.10am on November 14 last year.

Police said two letters were sent to his home and “no reply has been received”.

At court, the force dropped the speeding allegation but continued to prosecute Scholes for failing to reply to the letters.