A TAKEAWAY boss caught doing 117mph on the M4 on bald tyres was branded a “death trap” by magistrates.

Ismail Ay, 29, was behind the wheel of a Mazda CX-7 when he overtook a police officer on the M4 near Swindon on May 31 last year. The officer, who driving an unmarked car, was himself driving at 92mph.

The officer followed the Mazda as it hit speeds of 117mph. When he pulled it over, the constable noticed that both rear tyres were heavily worn.

Cautioned by the officer, Ay replied: “I want to say sorry. I didn’t see the tyres.”

Ay, of Strathmore Close, Carterton, pleaded guilty to speeding and two counts of using a vehicle with the tyre ply or cord exposed.

He reiterated his apology when he appeared before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Representing himself, he told magistrates he ran his own takeaway business. He had been coming from Bristol as he’d needed “stuff for his business”.

He told JPs: “To be honest I was a bit late for the business because I open up at 4pm and I had preparation to do still. I know it’s not an excuse, I just wanted to be a little bit fast.

“Normally, I am using the motorway all the time because I’m travelling that motorway all the time.

“That was the first time I did the speed. I know the road very well and the speed I did I didn’t really put anyone’s life in danger or anything. I was a bit fast and I am really sorry for that.”

He said he normally checked his car every week but hadn’t noticed his tyres were in a poor state of repair. He suggested that the damage could have been caused by his high speed.

Magistrates gave him six points for speeding and a total of six points for the tyre offences, making him a “totter” and resulting in an automatic six-month driving ban.

Fining him £575 and ordering he pay £168 in costs and surcharge, chairman of the bench Andrew Brown said: “117mph on a motorway especially with two degraded tyres - you were a death trap. It is dangerous beyond belief.”

He added: “We take this kind of speed very seriously.”