Brian Harvey, the singer with East 17, has been banned from driving today for six months for speeding. Harvey was pulled over by the police on the M4 in Wiltshire on May 24th 2007 at 2am driving at almost twice the speed limit.

The police offers told Chippenham Magistrate’s Court that the car had shot past them whilst they were travelling at 68mph. They said that they reached speeds of 138mph trying to catch the car up to pull it over.

Harvey denied speeding and representing himself at the trial today, claimed that the officers had seen another car speed past them but lost it in the chase and stopped the wrong car.

The singer was returning home after to East London after performing a promotional concert in his blue Volkswagen Golf but the police had noted down on official documentation that the offending car was an Audi.

He told the Magistrate’s “I was driving on the motorway that evening but the car the officers saw speeding was not mine.” He also went onto claim that the officers’ eyesight was defective and that they were lying.

The Court was told that after being stopped it was found that the number plate on Harvey’s Volkswagen was at the time registered to an Indian woman who drives an Audi, which is where the confusion arose.

Tim Hammock for the prosecution said it was definitely Harvey driving the speeding car and the Magistrates agreed.

The Chief Magistrate, Michael Sutton imposed a driving ban of 180 days, a fine of £150 and ordered him to pay court cost of £240. Mr Sutton said “We take the view it was certainly very near 138mph.”

Outside of the court, Harvey said “The Magistrates were very lenient and I appreciate that.” He then asked reporters to help push-start his car, which was being driven by his friend, as during the hearing the battery had gone flat.