Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding banned from driving

Former Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has been banned from driving for six months.

She was pulled over in her Range Rover on 4 April after swerving into the path of a cycling policeman whilst using her phone on Charing Cross Road in central London.

Harding, 31, pleaded guilty to the charge and was made to pay a £605 fine.

It was also revealed that she had already accumulated nine points on her driving licence for speeding.

Her lawyer, Nick Freeman, argued at Highbury Magistrates court that his client had "suffered more than a normal person because of the media attention her arrest had attracted".

But in summing up, District Judge Tenpia disagreed.

She gave Ms Harding credit for pleading guilty straight away to the charge and said her charity work was admirable, but said she was a "normal person" and should be treated as such.

In a statement released after her court appearance, Sarah Harding said: "Too many people use their mobile phone whilst driving and think its acceptable. It is not.

"Every year people die or are seriously injured because they were distracted making that 'oh so important call'. Mobile phones are a convenient tool for modern life but they must be used safely.

"I made a mistake by using my phone whilst driving, but I was lucky. I accept the court's penalty but it could have been a lot worse. I have learned my lesson."

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