A MOTORCYCLIST clocked at 125mph along the A361 between Devizes and Beckhampton has been banned from driving for three months.

Darren Ashton, 37, from Mill Head, Worton, pleaded guilty before Kennet magistrates on Tuesday to doing more than twice the 60mph speed limit on his Yamaha motorbike along the road at about 7.30pm on August 13.

But his solicitor, Tim Hammick, asked the court to be lenient on Ashton as there had been no aggravating factors, the road had been clear and the weather fine.

Mr Hammick told the court that Ashton, a carpenter currently working in Oxford, who had been married for 18 years with three children, aged 16, 14 and 11, had discovered his wife was having an affair. The couple were now divorced, he had lost his home and he was finding it difficult getting access to his children.

On the day of the offence, he had heard that his wife had gone abroad on holiday and he didn't know where his son was being looked after.

Mr Hammick said: "He was distraught with worry."

He added that Ashton owes his divorce lawyer £9,000 and had received a much smaller amount from the sale of the marital home than he had expected.

Mr Hammick said: "He is clearly very sorry for what he's done. Not much else can happen to him, but he has not collapsed in a heap. He is continuing to work and support his family."

He asked that the inevitable disqualification from driving should be kept to the minimum.

Ashton was banned for three months, reduced from four because of his early guilty plea, fined £320 and ordered to pay £35 costs.