The worst speeders in the Thames Valley have been revealed with four offenders caught doing speeds of up to 121mph last year.  

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has revealed the list of the worst cases of speeding across England and Wales.

The figures were released today after a Freedom of Information request was submitted by the IAM.

The IAM, a leading road safety charity, asked each police force for the highest recorded incidences of speed caught on safety cameras in 2014, including locations, speed limits and the top speed in each case.

The worst examples of speeding in the Thames Valley area include someone who was caught doing 116mph on the M40 near junction 2 for Beaconsfield.

The M40 appeared in the list again, this time between junction 8 and junction 7, where a camera caught one driver doing 115mph, 45 miles over the speed limit.

On the A4146 Leighton Buzzard to Bletchley Road, two drivers were caught 121mph and 117mph respectively.

Elsewhere in the country, a driver was recorded doing a staggering 128mph on a 30mph road in East Grinstead - over the speed limit by 98mph.

The two worst speeders in the country were both caught by Kent police, doing 146mph on the M25.

London’s worst speeder was recorded doing 123mph on a 30mph road by the Metropolitan Police.

In Wales, the top speed recorded was 136mph in a 60mph zone.

Out of 41 police forces across England and Wales who were asked to provide details, 36 responded to the request.

Every police force that provided figures had dealt with at least one instance where the offender had been driving at speeds of over 110mph, except City of London, Greater Manchester, Cleveland, Northumbria, South Yorkshire and West Midlands.

The figures are a worrying find for IAM chief executive officer, Sarah Sillars.

She said: “It is disheartening to say the least that some road users are showing such disregard for the safety of all other road users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other drivers.

“At speeds of 140mph an individual is travelling at nearly two-and-a-half miles a minute. At that speed it is simply impossible to react to anything that might happen in front of you.

“It is also impossible to handle corners, gradients, street furniture and junctions with any effectiveness. In short, all these individuals are playing with their own lives and others – they are all accidents waiting to happen and it requires a major shift in the attitudes of these people to think about safety.”