A £45,000-a-year film company design set executive who appeared before magistrates for speeding escaped a driving ban on the grounds of "exceptional hardship".

Mother-of-four Joanne Jane Woodruff, aged 37, of Rosebank, Edenwood Lane, Ramsbottom, admitted speeding in Heywood Old Road, Middleton, and because she already had nine points on her licence could have faced discretionary disqualification.

However, Rochdale magistrates heard yesterday that a ban would have a "catastrophic" effect on her livelihood, and they held back from a disqualification, but added another three points to her licence and fined her £120 with £35 court costs to pay.

If she were banned she claims she would have lost her job and that would affect her children, who are privately educated, and the building of her new home. He pointed out that Woodruff had only been travelling at 42 mph in a 30 mph zone. Also, the points she had received for one of her previous three speeding offences had been close to expiry when she committed the latest offence.