A BIKER caught doing 102 mph on the M65 near Blackburn turned out to be a police chief inspector.

Christopher Marshall, 48, who lives in Bolton and works for the Greater Manchester force, told Blackburn magistrates that he used the 600cc Honda bike to avoid traffic jams when travelling to work in the tough Moss Side district.

On the day of the offence he had been travelling to Earby to pick up his son and he admitted that while he had been concentrating on his driving he had not been paying sufficient attention to his speed.

Marshall asked the magistrates not to use their discretionary powers of disqualification. He said he felt acute embarrassment and humility at appearing in court as the defendant and was full of remorse.

He said a ban would affect his ability to do his job. Marshall, who pleaded guilty to the offence, was fined £400 with £30 costs and had his licence endorsed with six penalty points.

Passing sentence the chairman of the bench said the law applied to everyone, including police officers. "I trailed down from Glasgow last night at 70mph and it was hard but it had to be done," he said. "If I can do it so can you."