A driver who continued to speed through High Bentham despite being followed by a police car with its lights and siren on has been ordered to pay £525 by Skipton magistrates.

David Michael Whitaker, 50, drove up to 20mph over the speed limit along Robin Lane on October 4 and failed to stop, even though the officer indicated for him to do so with hand gestures and by shouting through his window, the court heard.

In his statement read out in court, the officer said he had been travelling up to 50mph in his police car through the 30mph limit, but that Whitaker, who was driving a VW Sharan, ignored all signals for him to stop.

At one point, when he shouted at him to stop through his window, Whitaker shouted back he couldn’t because of double yellow lines.

When he eventually did stop, at the junction of Main Street, he was dismissive and abrupt and continue to blame the double yellow lines.

Whitaker, of Low Bentham Road, Bentham, who was dealt with in his absence after magistrates found the case proved, was fined £400 and had his licence endorsed with six penalty points.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victims surcharge of £40.