Dyer driving

THERE is no stopping former Ipswich Town star Kieron Dyer on the football field – but on the roads he has been stopped, again.

The Newcastle United and England player gained another three points – on his driving licence – after being pulled up by a traffic policeman in Chester-le-Street in December.

Dyer, 24, was fined £60 for doing 63mph in a 50mph zone on the A167. It was the latest motoring mishap for the star, who was driving a £70,000 Mercedes ML55 AMG.

The same policeman, Pc Nigel Craig, had caught Kevin Phillips, star striker with United's North East rivals Sunderland, speeding just 24 hours before.

"I could have completed the set if I had run into a Middlesbrough player the following day," joked Pc Craig.

The traffic police officer with Durham Constabulary had stopped England star Phillips as he drove along the restricted A690 dual carriageway near West Rainton. He was clocked at 62.5mph in a 50mph zone.

"He was polite and apologetic when he was stopped. He accepted a fixed penalty ticket and a £60 fine but jokingly asked if the three points on his license could go to the club to ease their plight," Pc Craig said.

"Unfortunately for him, I'm a Newcastle supporter."

But that did not stop him penalising Dyer, who joined Newcastle from Ipswich Town in 1999 and has gained 14 England caps.

Neither was it Dyer's first driving offence. He was banned from the roads for two months in July, 2001, and fined £1,000 after admitting speeding at more than 100mph.

He had been caught driving his Mercedes S500 at 104mph on the A1(M) at Leamside, County Durham, on April 8 at close to midnight.

The star explained he had been listening to champion golfer Tiger Woods winning the US Open on the radio.

Dyer was shaken after his Mercedes S320 was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Cavalier car near Newcastle's training ground, also in April, 2001.

He escaped unhurt after crashing his Ferrari on a Newcastle bridge last December, while his passenger suffered minor whiplash injuries.