Soccer star Kieron Dyer was handed a six-month driving ban today for clocking up his fourth speeding offence in just two years.

The 24-year-old Newcastle United and England midfielder was caught doing 63mph in a 50mph zone in his flash £40,000 black Mercedes ML55 AMG four-wheel drive.

Dyer was not in court to hear his solicitor tell magistrates a ban would cause him "immense hardship".

Barry Warburton said Dyer would have to curtail travelling to Ipswich three times a week to visit his sick father, his partner and their child.

Dyer, who was given three penalty points and fined £1,500, was stopped by police at 11.30am on the A167 Park Road South dual carriageway at Chester-le-Street, County Durham, on December 8, last year.

Magistrates at Consett, County Durham, were told it was the latest in a string of driving offences and banned him under the totting-up procedure.

On April 8, 2001, he was banned for two months and fined £1,000 for speeding on the A1(M) motorway in County Durham.

Seven months later, on November 18, he was fined £60 and given three penalty points for speeding.

And in December 2002, he was fined £500 and given six penalty points by magistrates in Grantham, Lincolnshire, after being caught speeding at 80mph on a temporary 50mph stretch of the A1 in his BMW M3 on February 25. Dyer has also suffered a number of prangs in a series of flash cars.

Two days before Christmas, he was lucky to escape unhurt after he smashed up his £103,000 Ferrari when it span out of control on a bridge.

He walked away shocked but injury free after hitting the ironwork of the Swing Bridge which spans the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle.

The red Ferrari 360 Modena with personalised number plates suffered serious damage to its front end.

Dyer, who cost Newcastle £6.5million when he signed from Ipswich Town four years ago, was seen limping away. His passenger, an unknown man, suffered head injuries and whiplash.

The footballer was breathalysed at the scene, but the test proved negative and no charges were brought.