Surrey Police said they pulled over the man driving on the M25 at 130 miles per hour on Tuesday.

He allegedly told officers: “I thought the faster I went the less chance I would catch coronavirus.”

However, the man’s explanation failed to satisfy the officers and he was “reported to court”, the force said.

Police forces across the UK have said they are witnessing an increase in speeding offences during the pandemic as motorists try to get away with breaking the limit because of lower traffic.