Car insurance news
Driver charged after washing car wheels
A disqualified driver who moved his wife's car several feet in order to clean dog mess off the wheels has been given six penalty points.
The additional points mean that 59-year-old Gerald Hood will now find it even harder to find a cheap car insurance deal, and must also pay £70 court costs.
The Londoner had only served five days of a drink-drive ban when police officers spotted him reversing the car onto the pavement. Challenging him, he admitted that he was disqualified but told them he was only moving it in order to clean the wheels because he couldn't reach down far enough if it was parked on the road.
The garage door was open, Mr Hood had a hose pipe turned on and there was a power lead running across the pavement attached to a vacuum cleaner, but police officers still decided to charge him.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge at Richmond Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to driving while disqualified, although he did ask the bench to consider the exceptional circumstances of his case.
Rebecca Pearson, spokeswoman for Duck2Water Car Insurance Services, commented on the case and said, "If you're disqualified from driving it means you can't drive, even if you're only trying to clean your car.
"It's a shame Mr Hood's wife couldn't move the car for him, as now he's really going to struggle to find a cheap car insurance quote when his ban is over."