Drive ban for Soldier star Jerome

Jerome Flynn had been portraying Tommy Cooper on stage

Actor and singer Jerome Flynn has been banned from driving after being caught speeding in Devon.

The 42-year-old Soldier Soldier and Robson and Jerome star was speeding on the A30 near Exeter on his way to play Tommy Cooper in a theatre show.

He was going at 85mph in a 70mph zone at Tedburn St Mary last October.

Flynn, of Dulwich, London, admitted speeding and was disqualified for six months, fined £150 and ordered to pay £35 costs by Exeter magistrates.

Abusive fans

Flynn, who gave his occupation as unemployed actor when he appeared before the court, pleaded to keep his licence because he was worried about meeting drunken and abusive fans if he used public transport.

It has taken this case for me to think about it and realise I was in a kind of illusion and the law is there for a reason Jerome Flynn

But magistrates ruled he would not suffer exceptional hardship and imposed the disqualification because he has 12 points under the totting up procedures.

He had previously been caught speeding in December 2002 and April 2004 and had a further three points on his licence for contravening a traffic sign last October.

He said he clocked up the previous nine points on his licence when he was driving from city to city with his one-man show in which he plays comedian Tommy Cooper.

Pop double-act

Flynn was on his way from Truro to Cardiff when he was caught speeding in Devon.

He said: "I had an idea about myself that I was a good driver and that I cared about life and other people's lives and I thought I could drive safely at that speed."

"It has taken this case for me to think about it and realise I was in a kind of illusion and the law is there for a reason."

Flynn became a TV heartthrob as the star of the television series Soldier Soldier and went on to become part of a successful pop double act with co-star Robson Green.

As Robson and Jerome, the duo went platinum with a series of songs, including covers of I believe and Unchained Melody.