A SPEEDING vet has escaped a roads ban after magistrates heard it would cause hardship to animals if he was taken off the roads.

Mark Georgetti entered a guilty plea to magistrates in Worcester.

The court heard the 47-year-old had been caught breaking the limit behind the wheel of a Volvo in a 30 miles per hour zone on the A417 at Stretton Grandison in Herefordshire on May 21.

Georgetti, of Priestfield, Hanley Castle, was fined £334 and received three penalty points, and must pay costs of £90 and a £34 victim surcharge.

No totting disqualification was made as magistrates said the loss of his licence would cause exceptional hardship to his work colleagues, who rely on him to cover out-of-hours work which involves the welfare and care of injured animals, and would cause hardship to the owners of injured animals due to the limited number of specialised vets.