A speeding motorist who hit 130 mph in front of police officers has been banned from driving and fined.

Officers followed Kajan Ratnam for 16 km along the A1(M) before he stopped in the middle lane, Colette Dixon, prosecuting, told York magistrates.

At first they clocked him doing over 100 mph in a BMW. He slowed to between 84 mph and 90 mph before speeding up to 130 mph.

It took two police cars to bring Ratnam to a halt, said Ms Dixon. He then obeyed their instructions to go onto the hard shoulder.

Ratnam, 26, of Benton Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, pleaded guilty to speeding in a BMW on August 16. He had previously been banned for drink driving in 2018.

For him, Martin Townend said about the speeding: “He has no excuse.”

He wasn’t used to the car he was driving, said the solicitor.

Asked what Ratnam’s income was so that magistrates could set the fine, the solicitor replied that Ratnam had opened an off-licence a month earlier and it had yet to produce profits.

Magistrates banned Ratnam from driving for 12 weeks.

They fined him £346 with a £35 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Ms Dixon said traffic police saw Ratnam heading north at more than 100 mph near the A684/A1(M) Junction 51 at 3.22am.

He continued driving over the speed limit reaching 130mph as he approached Junction 52 near Catterick.

He didn’t stop and the traffic police following him called in reinforcements. Eventually with both patrol cars flashing at him to pull over, he stopped in the middle lane.