Minister fined over motorbike tax

Sammy Wilson said he was taking the bike for a service before putting it though its MOT

It has emerged that Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has been fined £40 for riding one of his motorcycles without tax or MOT.

It is understood he was caught by a camera detection unit on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast.

Mr Wilson told the Sunday Life newspaper he had been taking the bike to a garage for a pre-MOT service.

The Department of the Environment said the case had been dealt with using standard enforcement procedures.

It said that the vehicle was now licensed.

Mr Wilson, the DUP's East Antrim MP, owns five motorcycles, and said he thought it was permissible to ride a vehicle to a garage to have it serviced for an MOT test four days later.

"The law states I should have taken the bike on a trailer," he told the newspaper.

"I suspect there are thousands of bikers who would quite legitimately get their bikes on the road before they go for MOT."