Pensioner who fought speeding penalty cleared

John Anderson said proving his innocence had "taken over my entire life"

A pensioner who spent 15 months trying to clear himself over an alleged speeding offence has spoken of his relief after the case against him was dropped.

John Anderson, 74, was given a speeding penalty by West Yorkshire Police in June 2023 for travelling at 60mph in a 50mph zone on a slip road connecting the M621 and the M1.

However, Mr Anderson was able to produce dash cam footage that showed there were no road signs present indicating the temporary speed limit.

His solicitor, Dominic Smith, said the law states "adequate" signage must be on display for a motorist to be convicted of speeding.

"Overwhelmed with relief doesn't cut it," said Mr Anderson, a retired design engineer from Derby, after the CPS discontinued the case on Monday - the day before he was due to stand trial at Bradford Magistrates' Court.

He said he had spent about £12,000 preparing to defend himself while also undergoing treatment for skin cancer.

Mr Anderson criticised what he called the "disgusting treatment" from West Yorkshire Police, National Highways and the CPS in the face of his "irrefutable evidence".

He claimed his repeated attempts to contact them about his dash cam footage were ignored and said he was planning to take legal action.

"I can't explain my feelings, my anger is that strong," he said.

"It's taken over my entire life."

Mr Smith, a road traffic lawyer, said his client "stuck to his guns and turned out to be right".

"There's no hard and fast rule to state how far apart or close together signage needs to be," he added.

Mr Anderson said motorists "should be left in no doubt at any time as to what the speed limit is".

'Absolute hell'

His wife of 14 years, Maggie, 81, likened her husband's crusade for justice to that of the sub-postmaster Alan Bates, who successfully took on the Post Office over its Horizon software.

She said the last 15 months had been "absolute hell", adding: "The one thing I'm looking forward to is going to bed and sleeping all night."

Mr Anderson said prosecution evidence in other speeding cases could also be "questionable" after his case was dropped.

A CPS spokesperson said: "The CPS has a duty to keep all our cases under constant review.

"All our cases are considered on their own merit and according to the evidence presented to us by the police.

“We kept in regular contact with Mr Anderson’s representatives throughout this case.

“When new evidence came to light, and after a thorough review of the evidence, we concluded that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction, and the case was discontinued.”

A spokesperson for National Highways said safety was its "number one priority", adding: "We provide information to police forces across the country, who will decide whether or not to prosecute."

West Yorkshire Police declined to comment.

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