A violinist travelled almost 5,000 miles from central Russia to quibble about being stopped by a police officer in Aberystwyth.

Gareth John Thomas, 55, drove 3,439 miles from his new home in Perm, close to the Ural mountains, to Madrid in Spain where he caught an EasyJet flight to London Gatwick and then made his way to Swansea Crown Court.

But there was no love to take back to Russia – he lost his appeal against convictions for driving his Jaguar XJ6 with three tyres below the tread limit and a cracked windscreen.

The court heard that Thomas, who appeared in court wearing a Scottish kilt, had been in Aberystwyth on 22 October 2014 for music practice at the town’s university.

As he left the outskirts driving towa­rds his accommodation in Borth a police car fell in behind and he stopped.

See next week’s south editions for the full story