A MECHANIC who was clocked driving at 103 miles-per-hour on the A697 near Greenlaw has avoided a driving ban.

Steven Hall, 30, from Morpeth pleaded guilty to admitted the offence on May 8.

His lawyer told Jedburgh Sheriff Court he had been heading home from Edinburgh where he had been looking at a car.

He said: “He was in no particular rush but when he went past the police he allowed his speed to rise.

“He is the sole proprietor of a garage and his business would suffer significantly if he could not drive.”

Sheriff Peter Paterson said he was going to take the “exceptional” step of not disqualifying Hall.

Instead he ordered that six penalty points be placed on his licence and imposed a fine of £400.