Appearing in the last week of December at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, 64-year-old Colin Salmon narrowly avoided a six-month driving ban.
On 31 March 2025, Salmon, who has a recurring role in Eastenders and has appeared in three James Bond movies, was caught driving a Suzuki Wagon at 24mph in a 20mph zone in Acton. Three points were added to his licence for this offence, taking his total to 12. This would normally trigger a mandatory six-month driving ban through totting up rules.
Salmon was fined £666 and ordered to pay £130 in costs and a £266 victim surcharge, but he was not banned from driving after an exceptional hardship argument was presented to the court.
Salmon’s wife and daughter both have serious medical conditions and rely on him to drive them to frequent appointments. The court determined that a driving ban would indeed cause exceptional hardship to Salmon’s family. They also took into account Salmon’s various charitable activities. A driving ban would make it difficult for him to carry out some of these, including cricket coaching at a young offenders’ institution.
Exceptional hardship arguments can be difficult to present to a court, and it is essential to get expert help when putting your argument together. If you are facing a possible ban through totting up, solicitors at Auriga Advocates can give you the advice and support you need. Your driving licence is important, so contact us now and let’s talk through your circumstances and plan a course of action.