A football referee who was caught speeding has claimed a driving ban would cause him exceptional hardship and affect his career.

Terry Brunton, an Scottish Premier League match official, was told by a sheriff yesterday that he was facing a six-month driving ban.

Brunton, 39, was caught speeding into roadworks at 85mph, when the speed limit had been reduced to 50mph.

The Scottish Football Association referee was spotted by police who caught up with him six miles down the road.

Brunton admitted he had driven past speed and roadwork warning signs at 35mph above the speed limit late at night as he made his way home.

Fiscal-depute Robbie Brown told Perth Sheriff Court: "It was 10.40pm and there was a period of roadworks going on at the time.

"The flow of traffic was moderate, there was lighting, and the speed restrictions were fully signed. Officers were on patrol and carried out a laser speed check."

Brunton, of Meadowview Drive, Inchture, Perthshire, admitted clocking 85mph on the M90 Inverkeithing to Perth motorway, near Kinross on August 7.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher told Brunton that he planned to impose six points for the offence. However, because Brunton already has six points on his licence this would lead to a six-month driving ban under totting-up procedures.

Solicitor Jamie Baxter, defending, said that he would argue that a ban would cause his client "exceptional hardship". A hearing has now been set for next month and sentence deferred to await the outcome of that.

Mr Baxter said his client drove up to 500 miles a week in his football job, and a similar distance as a service engineer.

Mr Baxter said: "He is a class one match official employed by the SFA and he travels throughout the country for that. He is paid £150 a week for that and at the moment that is his only source of income. Until recently he was a service engineer but was made redundant.

"My information is that no-one was working on the road at the time. It was underneath the flyover. It was after the signs for the forthcoming roadworks and after the speed restriction sign, but before the actual roadworks.

"It was being reduced from two to one lane and there was a coned area to direct traffic into one lane. When he came across the sign there was only one other car on the road.

"He accelerated to overtake that car and get into the lane which was open. It was in the process of speeding up that he was clocked."

Mr Baxter told the court Brunton was stopped "five or six miles" up the road and was not still speeding when he was pulled over by police.

He said Brunton already has six penalty points on his licence for using a mobile phone at the wheel.