A traffic officer accused of travelling at 159mph while practising driving skills exceeded the limit on the "right" stretches of road, a court was told yesterday.
Former police driving instructor Douglas Boulton told Ludlow Magistrates' Court, having viewed a video of PC Mark Milton's driving on the day he is accused of speeding, he could find "no problem with it".
The court has heard Pc Milton, of Telford, was clocked at up to 159mph by a camera in the unmarked car he was driving.
But defence witness Mr Boulton questioned the accuracy of the camera speedometer and said, in his experience, officers trained on normal roads and were expected to drive "as fast as safe to do".
Mr Boulton, a retired officer who trained for Staffordshire Police, said: "At the end of the course, [advanced police drivers] were told to keep up skills."
Mr Boulton said it was important for officers to familiarise themselves with a new car and learn maximum speed in each gear.
Claiming Milton's driving on December 5, 2003, would have passed an advanced test, the witness observed: "The high speeds are only reached when the road is straight. He's always on the correct side."
Pc Milton denies speeding and dangerous driving. The case was adjourned until Friday.
