Scooter rider Alexander Bell twice hooked his feet around his rear number plate to avoid being caught on camera as he sped through the streets of Southampton.

But the 21-year-old did not realise he was being followed by an unmarked police car.

Today he is cooling his heels behind bars after he admitted trying to pervert the course of justice.

A judge heard how in October a speed camera snapped Bell carrying out the deception as he drove his 125cc Gilera Runner along Bitterne Road West.

A month later, he tried the same trick on the A27, unaware that a police car was following him after he had been clocked doing 53mph in a 30mph zone.

On arrest he told police: "I had to put my feet up - I was doing 35 mph and I would have got done for speeding."

Southampton Crown Court heard how Bell, of Mayflower Road, Shirley, already had nine points on his licence from previous speeding and insurance offences.

In mitigation, the court was told how the transport clerk had been left a nervous wreck by the prospect of spending time in jail.

Bell, who had pleaded guilty to charges of speeding and seeking to pervert the course of justice, told the court: "I have got too much to lose now. I have been caught speeding and now that this has happened I don't want to be in trouble ever again."

Judge John Boggis told him: "I would be failing in my duty if I did not mark out your behaviour - on two separate occasions - as being extremely serious. This was a clear attempt to avoid the consequences of speeding. You knew full well what you were doing.

"An example must be made so others don't get the bright idea of covering their number plates in this way."

Bell was sentenced to a month in prison and was handed six points on his licence and disqualified for six months.

Bell's defence lawyer Jonathan Simpson said his client was appealing against the sentence.

After the case Julian Hewitt of the Hampshire Safer Roads Partnership, which operates the county's speed cameras, said that such attempts to break the law would not be tolerated.

"The partnership is keen to let bikers know that we will take measures to identify and prosecute riders who flout the law," he said.

"This case demonstrates the effectiveness of joined up working by partnership and local police officers."