A MOTORIST was clocked travelling along one of Herefordshire's busiest roads at more than 100mph.

The driver, who hasn't been identified, was caught going 109mph on the A40 at Ganarew some time last year.

The stretch of road where the driver was caught has a national 60mph speed limit.

It was the fourth fastest speed recorded in the West Mercia Police force area, which covers Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, in the past 12 months.

The figures were gathered following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

However, only five of the 36 police forces across England and Wales which responded to the IAM recorded top speeding figures below the Herefordshire figures.

West Mercia's other top speeding locations in 2014 were in Whitchurch (Shropshire), Claines, near Worcester, and on the M5 north of Droitwich.

The IAM said it was shocked by some of the figures across the country which included a motorist in East Grinstead, Sussex clocked at 128mph in a 30mph zone.

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “It is disheartening to say the least that some road users are showing such disregard for the safety of all other road users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other drivers.

“At speeds of 140mph an individual is travelling at nearly two-and-a-half miles a minute. At that speed it is simply impossible to react to anything that might happen in front of you.

“It is also impossible to handle corners, gradients, street furniture and junctions with any effectiveness. In short, all these individuals are playing with their own lives and others – they are all accidents waiting to happen and it requires a major shift in the attitudes of these people to think about safety.”

The IAM asked each police force for the highest recorded incidences of speed caught on safety cameras in 2014, including locations, speed limits and top speed in each case.