Failing to post a document led to a court appearance for a speeding driver who had already paid his fine.

Lee Paul Thomas, of Laws Street, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday, January 21, having previously pleaded guilty to a speeding offence by post.

Thomas, 28, admitted driving a Citroen C3 at 43mph in a 30mph zone on the C3001 at Hubberston at 2.36pm on July 30, after the offence was captured by a speed camera.

Thomas, who represented himself, said: “I want to be as apologetic as I can about it. There was not an intention to speed, I was not even aware until this came though.

“I have made a conscious decision to be more aware of my speed when I am driving.”

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court Thomas had paid a £100 fixed penalty for the offence, but this was rejected and refunded when he failed to post his licence to Loughborough.

He added that after the paper part of driving licences were abolished, the electronic process of adding penalty points to driving licences was done directly by the DVLA in Swansea.

“I do not see why they need to have the driving licence in the first place in Loughborough.”

“Hopefully in the not too distant future they will change the system so they do not need the licence.”

Mr Pritchard-Jones suggested that reminder letters could be sent when a fine was paid but licences failed to arrive, rather than reverting to the prosecution process.

“It seems to me that this is an unfair system. All they need to do is to ask them to send their driving licence.”

Magistrates fined Thomas £68 and ordered him to pay a £32 surcharge.

Three penalty points were added to his licence.