A MAN was given a suspended prison sentence after driving through a red light in Worcester city centre and then blaming his grandmother.

Curtis Arnold, aged 21, was photographed driving through a red light in Foregate Street on June 7, last year.

He initially told police his grandmother had been driving, but later admitted it was a lie.

Arnold, of Shakespeare Drive, Kidderminster appeared before Hereford Crown Court on Friday, for sentencing, having previously admitted two counts of perverting the course of justice.

A hire car he was driving had also been photographed on June 15 by a speed camera doing 65 mph in a 50 mph zone but Arnold had used tape to alter the registration plate of the car.

He was caught after he forgot to remove the tape from the number plate before he returned the hire car.

He was given a suspended three-month jail term, a 12 month supervision order and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

He also admitted speeding and failing to stop for a red traffic light and was fined £100 for each offence and had a total of six penalty points added to his driving licence. He was also ordered to pay £1,478 court costs.