A MOTORCYCLIST was clocked doing 161mph in the fastest speeding offence recorded by West Mercia Police in five years.
The offence was detected on the A5 northbound in Shropshire – with the Yamaha rider caught doing 130mph on the same road just 12 minutes later.
A suspect was taken to court for the first speeding violation, which was recorded on the Pulley Lane over-bridge at 8.37pm on July 8 last year.
The second offence took place at 8.49pm on the same road, which has a 70mph limit.
The case is recorded as ‘adjourned’ in the list of the top five speeds recorded between 2022 and May 2026 by the force.
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CAMERAS: West Mercia Police has released the five fastest speeds recorded by the force over five years (Image: UGC)
A car caught doing 127mph on the A435 Hollywood bypass in Worcestershire was the second fastest speed in the released data. The road also has the national speed limit in place.
The offence, which was recorded this year, is listed as being ‘raised to court’ in the police data.
In a third case, a car was recorded doing 126mph on the A40 in Ganarew, Herefordshire.
The matter in 2024 is listed as ‘court adjudicated’ in the data.
Ex-police officer’s view
Bernard McEldowney, a district councillor in Bromsgrove and a retired police inspector, told Worcester News that the motorcycle speed came with the risk of fatal consequences.
“I must admit, I am surprised at how high some of the detected speeds have been, especially the motorcycle detected doing 161mph in a 70mph speed limit,” he said.
“At that speed, the rider must have or should have known that if they were involved in an accident they almost certainly would not have survived it.
“They should also have known that if that accident had involved another vehicle or a pedestrian, it could have resulted in further serious injuries or fatalities.”
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MOTORBIKE: A Yamaha of the same make that was recorded twice breaking the speed limit on the A5 (Image: Archive image)
Cllr McEldowney added: “It is obvious that not all drivers and riders are getting the message that excessive speed kills.
“Maybe the courts need to give consideration to imposing more severe penalties, including custodial sentences, on the most serious offenders, to get motorists to understand that their vehicle can be a lethal weapon if driven or ridden recklessly.”
The remaining cases include a car caught at 118mph in a 60 limit on the M5 between junctions 6 and 5 and a motorcycle travelling at 113mph on the A41 Whitchurch bypass in Shropshire.
Both cases were dealt with at court.
What do the police say?
The figures have been released after the Worcester News revealed how the number of drivers taken to court for speeding offences in the West Mercia Police region has leapt by more than 1,000 in the space of three years.
The rise corresponds with a soaring number of detections and the wider deployment of portable TruCam II laser cameras across Worcestershire.
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Chief Inspector Tracy Ryan of West Mercia Police said: “Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads is one of our top policing priorities, and identifying those who choose to break the speed limit is central to achieving that.
“Speed limits are put in place for a reason and these examples are simply reckless driving or riding behaviour which not only risks their own safety but anyone on the roads around them.
“We will continue to enforce the speed limit and will ensure cases such as these are progressed to court.”