Motorists have been accused of exploiting the coronavirus lockdown to speed excessively, an investigation has revealed.

One of the worst offenders was in Kent - where the highest speed was clocked at more than 130mph on a motorway.

The RAC analysed data as part of a freedom of information request sent to all British police forces.

It found the worst offenders were travelling at speeds in excess of 100mph.

One driver in Kent was caught racing down the M20 at 62mph over the legal limit during rush-hour.

The county was one of six police forces from across the country to detect motorists travelling at more than 130mph.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: "Some of the speeds police forces have caught drivers doing are truly shocking.

"At such high speeds there is virtually no time to react should anything unexpected happen in front such as a car changing lanes at the last second or a vehicle having to brake suddenly.

"Clearly, some drivers have taken advantage of quieter roads to speed excessively putting the lives of others at risk at the worst possible time.

"But at the same time it’s encouraging that so many police forces have taken firm action even during the lockdown, which sends a strong message to other would-be offenders."

Shocking footage revealed last month showed the moment a reckless driver sped along a Kent road at at least 200mph.

Videos circulated on social media show the Audi driver whooping and singing as they bomb along at night-time - with their speedometer creeping up to triple-figures.

Watch: Police investigation after driver filmed speeding at 200mph near Gravesend

One video appears to be filmed by the motorist himself, while another was apparently filmed by a front-seat passenger.

More than 10,000 drivers were caught speeding in April despite being under coronavirus lockdown, police have revealed.

Official figures say that 10,737 speeding offences were recorded in Kent, even though government guidelines restricted all but essential travel.

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