The motorist with 40 penalty points who doesn’t even own a provisional licence

A motorist from Lewisham has 40 penalty points obtained from 12 different offences to his name – despite lacking a full driving or provisional licence.

The record number of penalty points were awarded for speeding in a 30mph zone and driving without insurance, according to DVLA figures obtained via a freedom of information request by road safety charity Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

A man from Stockport who has 33 penalty points from seven offences, including from repeatedly failing to disclose information as to the identity of the driver, lays claim to second place in the 20 worst offenders list.

Third place, meanwhile, goes to a man from Leeds with 28 penalty points obtained from five offences that includes driving uninsured.

IAM chief executive Sarah Sillars said: “It’s been three years since the IAM raised this issue with the DVLA, but we still have drivers on the road with multiple points allocated to them.

“Now we discover that some of them have never held any kind of driving licence. We all have to share the road with these unqualified, uninsured and dangerous drivers.

“We need to punish offenders as well as give them the opportunity to change their ways. Offenders are unlikely to drive legally if they face a ban or points on their licence as soon as they pass their test.”

Sillars is referring to drivers who have more than 12 penalty points, which would usually mean a driving ban, but are allowed to stay on the road because of a legal loophole.

Keith Baldock from Herne Bay in Kent was said to have whopping 54 penalty points to his licence – earned by drink-driving, stealing petrol from five different cars and driving without insurance – yet was allowed to drive.

The reason is because to disqualify him at the time would have meant him being unable to get a job, which would lead to what the judge classed as ‘exceptional hardship’ – where the result of the punishment is too harsh for the crime.

Although the top 20 is predominantly filled with males, one woman from Blackburn has racked up 38 points, earned through breaking the speed limit in a 30mph zone on ten separate occasions.