THE head of physical education at a prestigious Hereford school has escaped a driving ban, despite speeding at almost twice the limit.

Andrew Hamilton, head of PE at Hereford Cathedral School, was captured with a speed measuring device travelling at 59mph in a 30mph road at the A4104 at Welland, near Malvern.

Hamilton, aged 32, of Naunton Parade, Cheltenham, admitted the offence at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday but successfully pleaded “exceptional hardship” to escape a driving ban.

Hamilton already had nine penalty points on his licence when he came before the court – three or more points would take him to 12, meaning he could have been disqualified as a totter.

The father-of-two was snapped by police speeding in his Mitsubishi Colt at about 9.20am on Tuesday, June 3 as he travelled to a teacher training course at Malvern College.

He admitted he had not even noticed the police car.

Hamilton, who was represented by Tim Burrows, took the stand to plead for magistrates not to ban him from driving, saying it would cause him “extreme difficulties”.

“I think it would be very difficult to be able be at work to fulfil my teaching duties in the first place and extra curricular duties are part of my contract,” he said.

“It would get me in a position where I would be under a lot of pressure and work and possibly I would have to seek employment elsewhere.”

He said he needed to be able to get to work in Hereford from his home in Cheltenham.

Hamilton said he drove the school minibus, taking pupils to sports fixtures around three or four times per week. Hamilton said he began work at around 8.20am and sometimes did not finish until after 6pm or even later and said he had not been able to find a viable bus route between home and work in the event of a ban.

Hamilton also said his wife, who works at a school in Gloucester, would not be able to give him a lift and that for her to do so would unfairly ‘impinge’ upon his family and the lives of their two children.

Magistrates were satisfied that a ban would lead to exceptional hardship.

He was fined £420 and his licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

Hamilton was also ordered to pay £60 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also warned him that if he received any more penalty points he could not advance the same arguments again for exceptional hardship.