Speeding Sunderland stars tell court of paranoia

It seems that paranoia is rife among Premier League footballers after two players from the same team led police on 100mph car chases when they became scared they were being tailed.

Grant Leadbitter and Anthony Stokes, both of Sunderland, appeared in different courts on the same day, after both were clocked doing more than 100mph in their BMWs. And both offered similar defences.

Midfielder Leadbitter tried to outrun a police car on the A1 in March fearing that he was being followed by a gang of Newcastle United fans.

The 23-year-old had clashed with Newcastle supporters during a night out in the city and left to avoid trouble. But as he drove home to Durham he noticed a car behind him. "My heart was beating fast, I was scared and I wanted to get home as quickly as possible," he told the court.

Stokes was caught doing more than 126mph in his BMW on the A1

When he tried to shake off the patrol car on the A1 near the Angel of the North he reached speeds of more than 110mph and was pulled over when the police turned on their blue lights.

Stokes was caught doing more than 126mph in his BMW on the A1 near Washington in January.

The 20-year-old striker told Sunderland Magistrates' Court that he sped away from a marked police car as he drove home at 1am after becoming nervous because it was driving close behind him. He claimed he had not realised the vehicle was a police car.

"I could not see the car because my back window is tinted. I could not understand why a car was so close behind me at that time of night, when there were two other lanes why they did not just go around me?" he said.

Leadbitter was given a two week ban by magistrates in Gateshead while Stokes was banned for six months at Sunderland magistrates. ·