Below is a list of the top ten most elaborate excuses given by drivers caught on camera in Northumbria over the past year:

1 I had passed out after seeing flashing lights, which I believed to be UFOs in the distance. The flash of the camera brought me round from my trance.

2 I was in the airport’s flight path and I believe the camera was triggered by a jet overhead, not my car

3 I had a severe bout of diarrhoea and had to speed to a public toilet

4 There was a strong wind behind my car which pushed me over the limit

5 My friend had just chopped his fingers off and I was rushing the fingers to hospital

6 The vibrations from the surfboard I had on the roof rack set off the camera

7 I had to rush my dying hamster to the vets

8 A violent sneeze caused a chain reaction where my foot pushed down harder on the accelerator

9 There was a suspected case of foot and mouth and I had to rush to see the cow concerned

10 The only way I could demonstrate my faulty clutch was to accelerate madly.

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