A 33-year-old man has been handed a driving ban and charges of over £5,000 after hitting speeds of 127 miles per hour while racing away from police.

Ricky Catchpole, 33, of Cotswold Close in Bedford, was caught travelling at the high speed by local authorities on the A5 in Milton Keynes on April 14.

Officers also spotted that his Yamaha R1 motorbike was missing a number plate, and, after the 33-year-old failed to stop for police, an “excessive and life-threateningly” fast pursuit followed.

After being tailed by police “at a short distance” along the road, Catchpole tried to slow down to navigate a tight corner and fell off the bike, where he was detained by officers as he tried to remount.

He has now been convicted in court and hit with a 28-day disqualification from driving and a fine of £5,275.

 

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police’s Road Policing Unit said the penalties would have been “far less severe” had Catchpole stopped for the officers and accepted a speeding ticket.

They added: “Speeding is one of the offences that road policing unit officers prioritise, as these offences are statistically the most common contributor to deaths on our roads.

“We have already attended several fatal collisions on the A5 this year, which is why much activity takes place on this road.

“Unfortunately, the rider in this case has learned a hard lesson about the consequences of riding at such a speed and then trying to flee the police – that we will prosecute you and that the judge will take an extremely dim view and punish you accordingly.”