36 motorists snared in big safety blitz

A TEENAGER caught driving at 103mph in a 60mph limit stretch of road was among more than 50 motorists caught speeding or failing to wear a seatbelt during a three-day police crackdown.

The 18-year-old male was pulled over by officers on the A702 West Linton to Dolphinton road on Saturday evening and charged with the offence.

In all, 36 motorists were caught speeding by police in Lothian and Borders during the blitz, which took place from 7am on Friday to 7am on Monday.

Another 16 drivers who failed to wear a seatbelt were also caught during the clampdown, which saw officers target country roads in a bid to reduce the number of accidents.

The dangers of driving on country roads were illustrated at around 5.10pm on Sunday when a 24-year-old man riding a Suzuki motorcycle suffered spinal injuries, a broken pelvis, punctured lungs and fractures to his ribs after colliding with a vehicle on the A198 in Gullane, East Lothian.

A police spokeswoman said that the motorcyclist's condition was serious, but added that it was not thought to be life-threatening.