Police Commissioner Candidate facing driving ban (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Conservative Commissioner candidate for Cleveland facing ban from driving

4:57pm Tuesday 13th November 2012 in News Exclusive By Julia Breen

ONE of the candidates vying to become a Police and Crime Commissioner on Thursday is facing a driving ban after at least four speeding offences in the last four years, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Ken Lupton, who is standing as the Conservative Party’s candidate for the Cleveland commissioner, last night admitted he had been caught speeding on May 29 this year on Darlington Road in Stockton.

If convicted when his case comes before Teesside Magistrates Court in Middlesbrough on December 4, the points on his licence will add up to 12 - which usually means a driving ban.

The former leader of Stockton Borough Council also admitted that he had already completed a Speed Awareness course, which are offered to people as an alternative to points on the licence – meaning he has been caught speeding more than four times.

Last night Mr Lupton said the speeding offences were “an embarrassment” for someone standing as Police and Crime Commissioner, but said he had made his Conservative colleagues fully aware of the latest offence before he was elected as their candidate for Cleveland.

“I don’t see it as a big problem,” he said. “It is a bit of an embarrassment at this time. Two of the tickets were on dual carriageways, one near Birmingham, and one at 6am, and none of them were over five miles an hour above the speed limit.”

He said as he drove more than 25,000 miles a year he was more likely than most to get caught speeding.

He said that a lack of driving licence wouldn’t stop him doing a good job as Police and Crime Commissioner.

“I think if it came to that I would look at personally employing someone on the occasions that I would need to,” he said. “Other than that there is always public transport. I use the buses now and I do have an electric bike too.”