ALBION star Anthony Knockaert has been fined £20,000 after a 110mph police chase.

The French winger, reportedly on £45,000 a week, was clocked cruising on the A27 between the Hove and Shoreham junction 40mph above the speed limit on September 13 last year.

Knockaert, 26, of Onslow Road, Hove, was chased by traffic officers in his black Audi A7.

His case was heard in his absence at Crawley Magistrates' Court yesterday, with his high wages taken into account in handing him the £20,000 fine.

Prosecutor Steve Day said Knockaert "appeared to be oblivious" to marked police cars and his number plate could only be read once traffic had slowed him down.

The Frenchman was weaving through the road and using excessive speed and tailgating, according to PC John Winter, the officer who caught the fan favourite.

PC Winter described the encounter with Knockaert as "the worst example of impatient, arrogant and intimidating driving he had ever seen".

Knockaert, who was Albion's Player of the Season last year, did not attend court as he is out of the country following the Premier League season finale last week.

"The police reached a speed of 110mph as they were trying to catch the black car," said Mr Day.

"They were unable to reduce the distance between them."

Mark Haslam, defending, said the Premier League ace accepted driving without consideration for other road users.

He said: "The defendant, who is a professional sportsman, has a French driving licence with no endorsements in this country or France.

"For reasons of being in a hurry, he has departed from his usual standard of driving.

"He has co-operated fully and entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity. "Thankfully, there was no injury or collision."

Magistrate Andrew Tonks fined the Brighton winger £20,000, reduced from £30,000 for his early guilty plea.

He said: "We have taken into account the arrogance of the driving. the high speed and the level of traffic."

Knockaert was given nine points on his driving licence for driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

Magistrates gave the player until Friday to pay the fine of £20,255 in full.