DEPUTY Labour leader Harriet Harman, who had been due to appear in an Ipswich court today to answer speeding charges, has admitted the offence by post.

DEPUTY Labour leader Harriet Harman, who had been due to appear in an Ipswich court today to answer speeding charges, has admitted the offence by post.

Ms Harman was expected to plead guilty at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.

However, in a hearing lasting less than a minute, the prosecutor Lesla Small revealed the matter had been “settled”.

A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service said the offence had been withdrawn after it was dealt with by way of a fixed penalty notice.

The 57-year-old, from London, had been accused of exceeding a temporary speed limit on April 7. She was issued with a court summons on August 31.

After the case, a spokesman for Ms Harman, who is the leader of the house of commons, would only say: “Harriet pleaded guilty by post.”

It is believed Ms Harman was caught speeding on the A14 in a 40mph zone.

It is the second time the former solicitor general has been caught flouting speeding laws, after an incident in February 2003 when she was spotted doing 99mph in a 70mph zone on the M4 in Wiltshire.

On that occasion, Ms Harman was banned from driving for seven days and given a £400 fine, which was criticised by the AA for being “lenient”, considering her then £125,000 salary.