An Ipswich van driver has been banned from the road after being caught speeding along the A12 on seven occasions in a month.

Saulius Urbaitis drove himself to Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, in Ipswich, but was told to find other means of returning home after being disqualified for six months for notching up 21 penalty points.

The 49-year-old was caught breaking the limit by average speed cameras at East Bergholt and Stratford St Mary between December 15 to January 17.

Urbaitis, of Ganymede Close, Ipswich, listened via a Lithuanian interpreter as the court heard the charges he admitted at an earlier hearing in June.

The father-of-two drove his Peugeot Expert van – restricted to 60mph on dual carriageways – at 70-72mph on December 15, 16, 18, 22, January 11, 13 and 17.

All but the last offence, which happened at 11.30pm in the opposite direction, took place within the same 25-minute period between 5.45am and 6.10am, when Urbaitis was on his way to agency work at a nut factory in Halstead.

To be spared disqualification, Urbaitis would have to satisfy sentencing magistrates it would cause exceptional hardship.

He said losing his licence would mean having to find alternative work – a task made more difficult by language limitations.

“If I don’t have transport, I can’t get to work,” argued Urbaitis.

“I’m not sure the agency could provide work closer to home.”

Urbaitis said losing his job would prevent him from paying off the long-term lease on his vehicle and from sending child maintenance payments to the mother of his twin daughters.

“I have other expenditure, such as rent, bills and food,” he added.

Urbaitis was unsure about the prospect of returning to former employment at a sushi factory, where his new partner works and could provide transport.

He was equally uncertain about the provision of public transport to Halstead, admitting: “I’ve never made enquiries because I’ve always had my own vehicle.”

When prosecutor Waseem Raja asked whether or not he provided transport for others, Urbaitis replied: “I sometimes give one or two people a lift to work. As far as I know, neither of them drive, but maybe the agency could arrange lifts for us – I don’t know.”

Urbaitis was banned for six months after accruing three points for each offence. He was fined £651 and ordered pay £210 towards prosecution costs.