SUNDERLAND ace Lee Cattermole has been banned from the roads - for picking up too many points.

His club are joint bottom of the Championship with just six wins from 40 games and face the dismal prospect of a second successive relegation.

4 Lee Cattermole has been banned from driving after collecting too many points Credit: PA:Empics Sport

But whilst his teammates have been desperate for points Cattermole, 30, has had no trouble racking them up.

His latest speeding conviction took him over 12 points and landed him with a six month ban from the roads.

He was handed his ban by Wirral magistrates court on Merseyside in February after he was caught speeding on the M6 - and is the second time he has been barred from the roads.

The conviction took him over the maximum 12 penalty points allowed on a driver's licence.

He was disqualified for six months, ordered to pay a fine of £666 and costs of £100.

4 Cattermole has been hit with a six-month driving ban - the second time he has been barred from the roads Credit: Getty - Contributor

A Sunderland Football Club spokesman confirmed he had been banned and said: "It was an accumulation of points on his licence which had been gathered over a number of years."

It is the second driving ban for Cattermole. His first for 56 days came in April 2010 when he caught speeding at more than 100mph in North Yorkshire.

The midfielder, then 22, was also fined £900 and ordered to pay £425 costs and a £15 victim surcharge by Northallerton magistrates for driving at 103mph on the A19 at Thirsk where the limit was 70mph.

And in April 2012 he received a caution for damaging cars in Newcastle's China Town.

He was charged with five counts of criminal damage to five vehicles but the case was settled with Cattermole agreeing to a caution and reimbursing the owners for the damage.

He's the second star at the troubled club to land in hot water over driving.

On March 31 Sunderland announced that Darron Gibson had left the club by mutual consent following an alleged drink drive smash.

4 Cattermole has experienced a difficult season on and off the pitch Credit: Craig_Brough

4 Sunderland team-mate Darron Gibson is facing a court hearing on an alleged drink driving charge Credit: PA:Press Association

The former Manchester United and Everton midfielder, 30, was suspended by his club on 18 March after being charged with drink-driving following a smash in which cars were damaged near the club's Academy of Light training ground.

Gibson is due to appear in court on 17th April to face a charge of driving with excess alcohol at lunchtime on March 17th.

Under the "totting up" laws a driver is banned by a court if he clocks up more than 12 speeding points within three years.

The court will usually consider the effects of the disqualification on the driver's livelihood before imposing a ban.