A businessman from London joined a speed awareness course in Gloucestershire, when he was more than 6,000 miles away in Vietnam.

Because of the time difference, it meant that instead of starting around 1:15pm like everyone else in the UK, he had to log on at 8:15pm.

Robert Vestey, head of Gloucestershire Constabulary's Non Crime Unit which manages classes on behalf of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "Speed awareness courses are designed to change drivers' behaviour, so it was good to see this gentleman taking it seriously and finding the time to attend, even in his busy schedule.

"People have taken part from Spain, France and even India when they've been on holiday. They can link up from anywhere and into any location in the UK, but no-one has logged onto a class in Gloucestershire from as far away as Vietnam before.

"It's not a punishment, it's education. Research carried-out by the National Drivers Offending Retraining Scheme (NDORS) shows these classes do have a positive effect."

National speed awareness courses are designed to cover most low-level moving traffic offences. The scheme is operated by NDORS on behalf of police services, which outlines the types of offender and the offences.

Classes moved online during the pandemic and have remained a popular and effective alternative to class-based sessions.

Last year, around 32,000 motorists qualified for a speed awareness course run by NDORS tutors in Gloucestershire. This year, that figure is expected to rise to around 38,000.

At £85 per head, Gloucestershire courses are among the cheapest in the UK. Next year, that will go up to £87 to cover increased costs, but will still be among the least expensive, compared with the current average which is £91 per course and the current highest £95, charged by Hampshire and Humberside.

Chris Nelson, police and crime commissioner, said: "People are mistaken if they think we make money out of catching speeders. We don't. Our charges are very carefully monitored to make sure we recover the cost of the course and nothing else.

"The only reason we have had to make a slight increase is because the cost of the course is going up, but our charges in Gloucestershire remain among the lowest. It's probably why people are prepared to log in wherever they are in the world!"

Image credit: Thousand Word Media