Retrial for policeman who drove at 159mph

A police officer who caused a public outcry when he was cleared of dangerous driving and speeding after reaching an "eye-watering" 159mph must face a fresh trial, the High Court ruled.

PC Mark Milton, 38, from Telford, Shropshire, was acquitted after a district judge accepted he was "driving for police purposes" and "honing his driving skills" when he drove at more than twice the speed limit while familiarising himself with a high-performance police car.

District Judge Bruce Morgan, sitting at Ludlow magistrates' court last May, dismissed charges against PC Milton - a grade one advanced driver and armed response officer with the West Mercia police.

But yesterday Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Owen, ruled that the district judge was wrong in law and there must be a re-trial. She invited any chief constables affected to instigate a review as to whether police drivers were being "encouraged to hone their skills in unfamiliar vehicles at grossly excessive speeds on unfamiliar roads, both urban and motorway".

She expressed concern that PC Milton had reached "eye-watering speeds" without lights or siren to warn motorists of his approach when he was not responding to an emergency or attempting to prevent a crime.