Police admit charity cycle error

Mr Barton said he had been "overwhelmed" by the reaction to his penalty

Police have admitted they were wrong to give a fixed penalty to a charity cyclist caught pedalling up a motorway shortly after arriving in Scotland.

Jamie Barton, 34, from Essex, was stopped by officers on the A74(M) motorway near Gretna on Sunday.

He was fined £60 and had three penalty points added to his driving licence after being pulled over by officers on the inside lane of the motorway.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said it had now cancelled the penalty.

Mr Barton had been on a charity cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats when he was issued with the fixed penalty notice.

'Incorrect procedures'

He questioned why he had penalty points added to his licence when he had not been driving a motor vehicle.

A spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said on Tuesday: "In reviewing the case it now appears that incorrect procedures were taken in the issuing of this ticket and as such this has now been cancelled.

"The matter will not be taken any further by the force."

Mr Barton told BBC Scotland: "It does get a bit miserable and lonely out there on the bike so to get that overturned is amazing - it's the best news I've had in a couple of days.

The matter is now closed and the force wishes Mr Barton a safe and successful conclusion to the remainder of his charity cycle Ch Insp Phil Stewart Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary

"I'd like to thank everyone in Scotland that has taken the time, after hearing about this, to go onto my website and pledge money as a gesture of good will. I'm really overwhelmed by it."

The force explained that Mr Barton had been removed from the motorway by its officers because of the "clear dangers that were posed by someone cycling on a busy lane of a fast motorway".

Ch Insp Phil Stewart, operational commander for the Dumfries division said: "The force received numerous calls from concerned motorists about the cyclist on the busy motorway and our traffic patrol officers attended and removed him from the danger that he had put himself in.

"The matter is now closed and the force wishes Mr Barton a safe and successful conclusion to the remainder of his charity cycle".

Mr Barton had been on the road for four days when he had his brush with the law. He hopes to raise £2,600 for a disabled five-year-old and a hospice she attends.

He said he had only been cycling for a few minutes when he was stopped, and was following a sat nav when he accidentally strayed onto the motorway.