11:33am UK, Thursday December 02, 2004

Dying hamsters, overhead jets, aliens and a desperate need for the toilet have all been offered as excuses by speeding motorists.

Speed camera organisation The Northumbria Safety Camera Partnership has publicised the zaniest ways that drivers hoped to avoid a penalty.

180 speed camera

Beware dying hamsters

Manager Ray King said everything from the wind behind the car to a vibrating surfboard were quoted by motorists.

"This is a light-hearted look at excuses for speeding but it is a serious issue - we'd rather not be getting any letters at all because no one is breaking the speed limit and no one is receiving a ticket," he said.

"It is quite amazing the lengths some drivers will go to to avoid £60 and three points, when really the alternative is extremely simple - keeping within the speed limit."

The 10 most elaborate excuses given by drivers caught by speed cameras were:

:: I had passed out after seeing flashing lights in the distance, which I believed to be UFOs. The flash of the camera brought me round from my trance.

:: I was in the airport's flight path, and I believe the camera was triggered by a jet overhead, not my car.

:: I had a severe bout of diarrhoea and had to speed to a public toilet.

:: There was a strong wind behind my car which pushed me over the limit.

:: My friend had just chopped his own fingers off, and I was rushing the digits to hospital.

:: The vibrations from the surfboard I had on the roof rack set off the camera.

:: I had to rush my dying hamster to the vets.

:: A violent sneeze caused a chain reaction where my foot pushed down harder on the accelerator.

:: There was a suspected case of foot and mouth and I had to rush to see the cow concerned.

:: The only way I could demonstrate that my clutch was faulty was to accelerate madly.