Duke of Rutland banned from driving and fined £3,025 Published duration 12 July 2016

image caption The Duke of Rutland - who has been banned from driving - lives in the family seat of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire

One of the wealthiest aristocrats in the UK has been banned from driving after amassing 24 points on his licence.

The Duke of Rutland - who lives in Belvoir Castle - was caught speeding twice in Nottinghamshire, once in North Yorkshire and again in Derbyshire in an eight-month period.

He was banned for a year and 15 points were added to the nine he already had.

He was also ordered to pay £3,025 in fines and costs.

The Duke, who was named in Northallerton Magistrates' Court as David Charles Rutland, failed to respond to the fixed penalty notices and a trial was set until his lawyers indicated he would plead guilty.

'Considerable means'

Rutland did not appear at the hearing which was told he was driving a Land Rover Discovery at the time of the offences.

His solicitor Lisa Wilson said: "He does not wish to minimise the offences. He does not wish to put forward an argument of exceptional hardship.

"The court may consider that with the title he has and the property he resides in the defendant is of considerable means."

Rutland, whose wealth was estimated at £140m by the Sunday Times Rich List, lives in the family seat of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, set in 18,000 acres of land.

It has been the backdrop for several films including The Young Victoria and the Da Vinci Code while Haddon Hall in Derbyshire - also owned by the family - featured in Pride and Prejudice in 2005.

The offences:

Driving at 59mph in a 50mph near Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, in November

Driving at 61mph in a 50mph stretch of the A1 between Scotch Corner and Barton in North Yorkshire in September

Driving at 73mph in a 50mph near Lowdham, Nottinghamshire, in March

Driving at 37mph in a 30mph on the A61 near Chesterfield in June last year