Help me!!! I'm new on here, so apologies if this isn't in the right part of the forum.
Right, this be the story of my tale of woe.
Driving towards Macclesfield from Hale. Travelling on a single carriageway that runs into a dual carriageway (Altrincham Road, Wilmslow, heading underneath the Manchester Airport tunnel). 50MPH speed limit. I was behind 3 or 4 vehicles at this point. When the dual carriageway started, I pulled into the outside line to overtake a car and a couple of vans that were previously in front of me and had moved into the nearside lane. I'm 99% certain I didn't go past 60MPH as the road was pretty greasey and it's a blackspot anyways, and is generally heavily Police'd.
At this point, there was at least 2 other vehicles behind me, a Toyota Rav 4 and a black mini-van of some sort. No sign at all of any Police vehicle. Once I'd overtaken the cars, I pulled back into the nearside lane (again, at this point there was no sign of a Police vehicle in my mirrors), drive about 100 meters and reach the end of the tunnel where I begin to slow for a roundabout. I go straight on at the roundabout and get a glint in my mirror, I have a look and see a marked Police car flashing me to pull over, so I pulled into the carpark at the hotel just after the roundabout. I've never been stopped before in my 12 months of driving, which is surprising really as I'm a young-looking 21 and I drive a 205 GTi. I know everyone says they're not a ''boy racer'', but I really am not. I bought the car as it was one of my favorites as a kid. Besides the fact that my mum works in insurance and my dad works with the Police as a recovery driver and they'd both give me a slap if I drove like a pudding!!! Anyways; I stop the car, turn off and get out, very polite etc. etc., I'm a nice boy.
Conversation goes;
P - Hi there mate, do you want to just jump in my car please?
W - Yeah, front or back?
P - Front's fine...
*Gets in the car*
P - Okay, do you know why I've asked you to pull over?
W - Nooo, not sure!?!
P - Right, well do you know what the speed limit was on that road there?
W - Erm, I thought it ws a 60, but I'm having doubts now!?!...
P - No, I'm afraid it is a 50MPH zone. Do you know how fast you were going?
W - Not sure to be honest, I was watching the road ahead...
P - Okay, well I believe you were travelling in the region of 75-80MPH...
*Reads the usual you have the right to remain silent...*
W - Oooh shit, I didn't think I was going that fast!?! I only sped up to overtake the vans...
P - Okay, don't worry. Are you the owner of the vehicle and do you have insurance and a valid licence?
W - Oh yes, both, car is registered to me, and insured in my name...
(I was not asked to produce any documentation to him and I did not volounteer any either)
*Formality of asking name address, etc. etc., name of insurance company etc. etc.*
P - Okay, the car is actually coming up as uninsured, so I'm going to have to make a phone call and get it cheked out...
W - Woah, okay, it is definately insured...
*Makes phone call, is told he will be phoned back in a few mins*
P - How long of you had the car then?
W - Erm, since about September or October, only a few months.
P - Ahh right okay, what did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?
W - Just under £2000, bit of a project for me and my dad like...
P - Oh okay, very good.
*Me pointing at the screen on his dashboard*
W - Ooh, I've seen them on Road Wars on the TV, did it flash up saying I was uninsured or speeding or something?
P - No, no, this time I caught you the old fashioned way. I saw you down at the traffic lights, I was a few cars back and I thought you were going to overtake the Mercedes in front of you on the single-carriageway. I had to accelerate to around 75-80MPH to see where you had gone once you got into the tunnel so I'm pretty sure that you must have been doing a similar speed...
W - Ahh, bloody hell, didn't even use the gadgets on me then?
P - Hahaha, no no not today!!!
*Insurance people phone him back and confirm I have insurance*
P - Right, they've confirmed you do have insurance. So I'm issuing you with a fixed penalty for travelling at 70MPH in a 50MPH zone. Part of this ticket also requires you to take your MOT, licence and insurance documents to your local Police station...
W - Okay, that's Altrincham then, do I go today?
P - No, you have 7 days to do it. What will happen then is you will need to send a cheque to cover the cost of the fixed penalty and you will be given 3 points on your licence. Do you have any points at the moment?
W - Yeeah, I have 3 for a TS10. So, I am going to have my licence taken off me then?
P - Erm, it's hard to say, you may just get 3 points and nothing else but they may decide to uphold the full penalty and take your licence and if so you will need to do a re-test. Or they could just give you 2 points and a larger fine, but that is really down to the court...
W - Right, not to worry, am I okay to go now?
P - Yeah, that's fine.
To be honest, I thought the Police Officer was sound, and he was friendly enough and had a bit of a laugh with me calling all the posh machines in his car ''gadgets'' and telling him I'd seen them on Road Wars. He seemed to be quite into cars and I have no complaints with how I was spoken to or anything like that. Well, he at least seemed to be very interested in my car, asking how much I'd paid for it, how long I'd had it... But I suppose that's just part of his job!?!
BUT - He told me directly that he didn't record my speed as such and I wasn't on video.
SO - Where do I stand? Can I appeal on the grounds of lack of evidence?
Oh, and also, after he had sent me on my way and I was just opening the door to get out of the car, he suddenly stopped me and came out with; ''Are those number plates legal on there?'', to which I obviously replied ''I think so yes''. At this point I was told that he would have a problem with them but I have since checked at our local garage and have been told they are fine. They are pressed metal plates, but they are the standard UK font and spacing and have the GB crest to the left hand side. Finally, I was told ''What first alerted me to your prescene was the fact that I thought you were going to try and overtake the cars in front of you whilst still on the single-carriageway because you veered slightly off track...'' At this point I explained that I wouldn't have tried to overtake knowing that there was an extra lane about to be avaliable to me!!!
The only thing I signed apart from the penalty form thing was to confirm that his notes which simply read ''I though it was a 60''.
As you can tell, I'm not too clued up on all of this. But I have 3 points for a TS10 (one monthe after passing my test) and need help.
SORRY IF IT'S A BIT LONG WINDED!!!