A driver who flouted his ban for the eighth time claimed that the L-plates he should have had fixed to his vehicle had fallen off.

Craig Midgley had come to the end of his previous disqualification but needed to pass an extended driving test before applying for his full licence again.

He was pulled over shortly before 1am on April 23 as he drove along Slaithwaite Road in Dewsbury.

Officers stopped him because checks on the Police National Computer revealed that the white Ford Transit didn’t have a registered keeper and its MOT had expired.

Prosecutor Andy Wills told Kirklees magistrates: “He was asked to stop and he did so. Further checks showed that in February 2016 he was banned from driving and he admitted that he had not retaken a test as part of that ban.”

The 37-year-old had no L-plates on the vehicle and shouldn’t have been driving, the court was told.

Midgley pleaded guilty to offences of driving while disqualified, using a vehicle without insurance and without a valid test certificate.

Mr Wills said that he had 102 offences on his record, eight of which were for driving while disqualified.

Kirklees Magistrates' Court, Huddersfield
Kirklees Magistrates' Court, Huddersfield

Midgley’s solicitor Andy Day said: “At the time he’d applied for a provisional driving licence and there was a qualified driver supervising him.

“L-plates had been displayed but the rear one had fallen off.

“He was under the impression that having applied for a provisional licence he had permission to drive but now realises that wasn’t the case.”

Midgley has had to apply for his provisional licence again after the first one he applied for failed to arrive, Mr Day said.

Magistrates banned Midgley, of Netherfield Road in Ravensthorpe, from driving for a further year.

He must comply with a curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next 12 weeks.