Best-selling crime author Lynda La Plante is latest victim of Sadiq Khan's 20mph zones as she faces ban after 'being caught speeding three times'

Published: 14:14, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 14:18, 10 July 2026 A best-selling crime author has become the latest victim of Sadiq Khan's 20mph speed zones after she was accused of speeding three times in five months. Lynda La Plante, the author and screenwriter best known for creating Prime Suspect's DCI Jane Tennison, has found herself at the centre of her own legal drama after she was handed three speeding tickets in quick succession. The 83-year-old is set for a showdown in court next month where she could face a driving ban if she is found guilty. Ms La Plante was allegedly caught driving at 24mph, 26mph, and 27mph in a 20mph zone near to her home in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London. In a series of notes aimed at court officials and the police, Ms La Plante denounced 'very confusing' road signs alerting drivers to the speed limit, and she says cameras are placed too close to signs telling motorists that it is a 20mph zone, giving them little time to slow down. The award-winning author has also taken the courts to task for making it difficult for accused drivers to obtain legal advice. Ms La Plante, who created hit robbery TV series Widows in the 1980s and brought Prime Suspect to the screen in 1991, was awarded a CBE in 2008 for services to literature, drama and charity. Court papers show she was first caught speeding at 9.24am on November 2 last year, when it is said her Toyota was clocked at 24mph on the A308 Kingston Hill. Lynda La Plante (picutred), the author and screenwriter best known for creating Prime Suspect's DCI Jane Tennison, has found herself at the centre of her own legal drama after she was handed three speeding tickets in quick succession Since becoming Mayor of London in 2016, Sadiq Khan has overseen a reduction in the speed of many of the capital's roads Responding to the charge, she ticked the boxes both for guilty and not guilty, and asked for a court hearing in her case. 'I wish the court to survey the very confusing signs to indicate from 30mph to 20mph,' she wrote. 'The speed camera is a very short distance – no more than 10 seconds and with traffic and cyclists overtaking but almost hitting the bumper of my vehicle.' She added that it is '10 seconds to the speed camera', and there is 'no 20mph painted on road'. The second incident happened at 9.35am on March 5, a short distance along the same road, when the author's car was clocked at 26mph. In her written response, Ms La Plante suggested she had already tried to pay a fine by cheque to avoid a prosecution, but she went on to be critical of the communications in place. She said she 'spent 25 minutes on phone waiting to speak' to an adviser, only to find they 'did not speak English'. Ms La Plante also circled a line on the Single Justice Procedure form, which reads: 'If you need legal advice, go to: gov.uk/find-a-legal-adviser'. The web link does not work, and Ms La Plante penned on the form: 'No longer available.' She then faced a third criminal prosecution, over a speeding offence at 10.03am on April 11 after travelling at 27mph past the same speed camera involved in the second offence. In her response, she pleaded guilty and wrote: 'I wish to dispute this offence on the basis that the signage warning motorists of a 20mph speed limit is only 10-15 paces from a 30mph zone, on a downward hill. 'It is impossible to reduce the speed appropriately in that time/distance.' In the papers for the third case, a Met Police worker set out that if convicted the crime author would have at least 12 penalty points on her licence, putting her in line for an automatic six-month disqualification. The Met Police has brought all three prosecutions through the fast-track Single Justice Procedure, while responsibility for the speed limit signs and road markings lies with local councils. Ms La Plante is due to appear at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court on August 3. Since becoming Mayor of London in 2016, Sadiq Khan has overseen a reduction in the speed of many of the capital's roads. Last year, he wrote on X: The evidence is clear - 20mph zones save lives. In London, they've cut deaths and serious injuries by 34 per cent and child fatalities by 75 per cent. That's why we need to see more 20mph areas.' However, London is also the slowest capital city in the world to drive in, according to analysis published by sat-nav firm TomTom - and it says the lower speed limit is to blame. The firm's traffic expert Andy Marchant said in January: 'Low average speeds in London are often interpreted as extreme congestion, but that misses the full picture. 'Average speeds are heavily shaped by static factors such as the widespread 20mph limits, street design that doesn't match today's needs, and consistently high traffic volumes, which means journeys can be slow even when roads are flowing.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.