A SICK man told to hurry home from hospital to await a telephone call from a doctor found himself up in court - after being caught speeding at 4 o'clock on a Sunday morning.

Surveyor John Lewis, of Bransgore, had got up in the middle of the night and driven to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital's accident and emergency department because of severe ear pain.

"When I got there, the place was mayhem. The police were there and there was one girl on reception," he said. "She was under siege. She just said: Sorry, there's a four-hour wait'."

Mr Lewis spoke to a hospital doctor by telephone. "He said: If you get back to your house as soon as possible, we'll get a locum out to prescribe something for you'.

"My main focus was on driving home as quickly as I could. I didn't drive dangerously. There was nothing on the roads."

A month later he received a notice that he had been clocked by a speed camera doing 37 mph in Castle Lane East - seven mph above the limit.

"I immediately wrote with an apology. I said I didn't know I was speeding and would like to be considered for extenuating circumstances.

"I attached a letter from my doctor but didn't even get a reply."

Although he admitted the offence, Mr Lewis, who travels 30,000 miles a year through his job, opted to go to court so he could explain what happened.

"The magistrates were very sympathetic and said they were minded to waive the three points, but the young clerk reminded them they didn't have the power."

He was fined £60 and had his licence endorsed by three points.

Mr Lewis spoke out after the Daily Echo revealed that nearly a million motorists in the country are within three points of a driving ban.

Dorset Safety Camera Partnership did not wish to comment.