Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has been caught riding his motorbike without tax or MOT, it was revealed today.
The Democratic Unionist MP and MLA for East Antrim was fined £40 for the offence.
He was caught by a camera detection unit on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast, a short distance from the Stormont Parliament Buildings.
The red-faced minister put his hands up in a statement issued through his department after his offence was splashed across the front page of the
Sunday Lifenewspaper in Belfast.
The statement said: "A motorcycle registered to the Minister was detected by a DVA camera detection unit when it was on the road while unlicensed.
"The case was dealt with using standard procedures applied to all such detections and the appropriate penalty was paid. The vehicle is now licensed."
The minister told the newspaper he had been taking the bike to a garage for a pre-MOT service.
The bike-mad minister who has five different motorcycles, added: "The law states I should have taken the bike on a trailer.
"I suspect there are thousands of bikers who would quite legitimately get their bikes on the road before they go for MOT," he said.
PA