Man driving for more than 70 years tells Notts police: ‘I’ve never had a licence’

A man stopped by police told officers he had been driving without a license or insurance for more than 70 years.

Officers on a routine patrol in Nottingham said they were stunned when they pulled over the driver in his 80s in a supermarket car park.

The man, born in 1938, told them he had not had a driving license or insurance since he was 12 years old – and had avoided being stopped by police ever since.

Nottinghamshire police officers said they just happened to pull over the man driving a three-door Mini One in a Tesco Extra car park in the market town of Bulwell on Wednesday.

Alongside the hashtag #rodehisluck, patrol officers wrote on Facebook: “We can’t quite believe what happened next, as the driver, who was born in 1938 (!!), coughed that he had been driving with no license and no insurance, since he was 12 (yes TWELVE) years old ….. and somehow had managed to never be stopped by the police. (We’ll let you do the maths!!)

“Thankfully he had never had an accident, caused anyone an injury, and never made anyone lose out financially, by hitting them whilst uninsured!

“Due to the increased number of ANPR [automatic number plate recognition]cameras in Nottingham, even on the small trips, you are likely to hit a camera, so make sure your documents are in order ….. because it will catch up with you ….. one day …..”

Driving without a license attracts a punishment of between three and six penalty points, depending on the nature of the offence. It can also warrant an unlimited fine if the driver has no insurance.

Police have the power to seize vehicles that are not insured. In this case, officers did not say what punishment the man received but hinted that he might have had to walk home. They used the hashtag #cantpaywelltakeitaway alongside a picture of his car.