A DRIVER who tried to ignore speeding notices for more than a year has been given a six-month driving ban and ordered to pay more than £1,400 in court costs and fines.

Ervin Sadikaj, 25, of Hatherley Road, Walthamstow, failed to inform police who was driving the Volkswagen Touareg for which he was the registered owner when it was caught speeding on the A13 in Thurrock.

The car was detected travelling at 49mph in a 40mph limit on October 30, 2015.

When notices of intended prosecution were sent to his home address, Sadikaj completed the paperwork incorrectly.

He was sent a letter informing him of his mistake and given new notices to complete. He completed the form, claiming the driver was someone else.

Notices and follow up letters were sent to the named person, but no response was received.

Then in February 2016, Sadikaj named another person as the alleged driver.

Neither of the drivers were traced, nor registered at the addresses provided by Sadikaj.

He was summonsed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court for failing to identify the driver when required to do so.

He admitted the offence and was sentenced at the court on December 20, 2016.

He was banned from driving for six months, fined £783 and ordered to pay £620 costs and a £78 victim surcharge.

Pc Daniel Cordwell said: "We are seeing a lot of people simply ignoring notices sent by the police in the hope they will go away.

"But speed limits are in place for a reason: to keep drivers and other road users safe.

"We assess all driving offences to decide the most appropriate course of action - the offer of completing an education course, issuing a fixed penalty or taking the matter to court.

"If a registered keeper fails to respond to letters or falsely claims they were not the driver, this will only make matters worse and we are sometimes left with only one option, which is to have the matter heard in court.

"If found guilty, you will get a driving conviction, or possibly disqualified from driving and a large fine."