East 17 star Brian Harvey been handed a six month driving ban after being found guilty of driving at nearly twice the national speed limit.

The beleaguered singer denied that he’d been speeding on the stretch of M4 motorway between Chippenham and Swindon in May of last year.

Police claim that they had to drive 138mph in order to catch his vehicle up. But 33-year-old Harvey, who was representing himself at Chippenham Magistrates’ Court, pleaded his innocence by saying he saw another car overtake him before police called him over in the wrong car.

He also alleged that the officers in question were lying and that they had defective eyesight, reports the BBC.

As well as the 180 day driving ban, Harvey was fined £150 and was ordered to stump up court costs of £240.

It’s the latest of a series of blows for Harvey. In 2005 he was crushed by his own car, in 2006 the East 17 reunion collapsed after he and Tony Mortimer fell out, while last year he failed to become the UK’s entry for Eurovision.

(by Scott Colothan)