70-yr-old UK man caught driving without valid licence since 50 years

When police in Nottinghamshire pulled over an old man, they discovered he had been driving without a licence for 50 years. The guy, who is in his 70s, was apprehended by police on Wednesday, January 26th, near a Tesco Extra store in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire.

In a report about the incident released by Nottinghamshire Police, he was described as'very wobbly on his feet' and 'hard of hearing.' The encounter occurred while the 'City North OP Reacher squad' was patrolling in Sherwood and Carrington.

Officers pulled over the man's blue Mini and contacted the driver, who was born in 1938, according to the post, who then 'coughed that he had been driving with no licence and no insurance, since he was 12 (yes TWELVE) years old.....and strangely had never been caught by the police.'

Despite not being of legal driving age at the time, the man was not apprehended on his initial trips in the vehicle, and after reaching legal driving age, he continued to go undiscovered for decades.

Compulsory testing for all drivers was implemented in June 1935, so the man should have legally taken a test. The police claimed they were "kind" with the driver, but that his lack of hearing, unsteadiness, and poor responses meant he was "possibly not safe driving now, even if he was "road legal."

Many social media users expressed surprise that the guy had escaped detection for so long, while others wondered if he'd set a record by driving for seven decades without a licence.

Driving without a licence carries a licence penalty point penalty in the UK, a specific amount of which can result in disqualification from driving. It can also result in an endless fine if the motorist does not have insurance.

• Nottinghamshire Police
• United kingdom
• driving license
• driver