'It was me, officer': Balls Busted

Ed Balls was sent to driver rehab after being caught speeding by police.

The shadow chancellor was caught doing 56mph in a 50mph zone on the M62 motorway in Morley, West Yorkshire.

Speed cameras snapped his offence and he was fined and made to attend a driver awareness class at a nearby Holiday Inn.

Balls admitted the offence in his blog while campaigning for motorists to be made drive more slowly on roads. He wants speed limits in his Morley and Outwood constituency cut to 20mph to improve safety.

Balls said: "I was caught out by the never-ending roadworks on the M62. Pulling on to the motorway at Morley I realised too late that the speed restrictions were still in place. I was caught and bang to rights.

"Going too far, too fast, you might say."

"I have no points on my licence and would like to keep it that way. Which is why I ended up in the Holiday Inn with 39 others."

His admission comes the day after his rival George Osborne was criticised for parking his Land Rover in a disabled bay. An eyewitness said: "Not many people recognised him as George Obsorne. We thought it was Ed Balls."

The Labour frontbencher, who's wife Yvette Cooper is the woman who would head the Home Office with responsibility for police, called the course at the hotel professional and worthwhile.

It was the second time Balls was busted for breaking the laws of the road. In 2010 he was fined £60 for using his mobile phone while driving in Milton Keynes.

In his blog, Balls lectured readers on how important driving safely is.

"Our course instructors explained that casualty rates have fallen over the past decade, as drivers have become more aware and car design has improved.

"The worrying thing is that this trend has started to reverse in recent years. That is why our local campaigning for 20mph zones is so important."