A teenage boy has escaped punishment after towing a caravan on the M4 in Wiltshire.
The 14-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was stopped by a police officer as the drove a Saab with a caravan attached on 26 October last year.
He provided the officer with a false name and claimed he was 22 years old as he was questioned at the roadside between junctions 16 and 17 of the M4.
The vehicle had three passengers inside – none of these people had a valid UK driving licence.
At Swindon Magistrates Court last week, the boy – who is now 15 and from County Clare in Ireland – pleaded guilty to obstructing police and driving without a licence or insurance.
Due to a lack of means, no order for costs was made. He was given a four-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £20 surcharge.
PC Luke Hobbs said: “Not only was this boy just 14 with no driving licence, none of the three passengers inside the vehicle had a valid driving licence either.
“Their actions could have had devastating consequences on other road users and it is fortunate that no collisions occurred as a result of such stupidity.”
