On a chilly Saturday morning, January 4, 2025, the usually routine speed checks on the A120 in Takeley, Essex, took a dramatic turn. Officers from Essex Police’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU) were monitoring traffic when their equipment suddenly registered a vehicle hurtling down the dual carriageway at an astonishing 140mph—double the road’s national speed limit of 70mph. The culprit? A flashy, orange Lamborghini Urus, its distinctive silhouette unmistakable even at breakneck speed.
According to Essex Police, the officers immediately set off in pursuit. Thanks to the good sense of other motorists who were obeying the speed limit, and a bit of luck with a traffic build-up, the police managed to catch up with the Lamborghini near Stansted Airport. The driver, later identified as Fred McKennon, 60, of Elmstead Road, Colchester, was pulled over without incident. But the story didn’t end with just a speeding ticket.
As officers approached the luxury SUV, they noticed something else amiss: the front windows were tinted far beyond what the law permits. Police testing revealed the windows allowed less than 30% of visible light to pass through, a clear violation of regulations that require windscreens to let in at least 75% and front driver and passenger windows at least 70% of visible light. According to a police spokesperson, “Tints reduce visibility, especially at night or in poor weather, increasing the risk of collisions and at this level must be removed to comply with the law.”
Given the excessive speed and the illegal window tints, officers seized the Lamborghini on the spot under anti-social driving legislation. This law enables police to impound vehicles when the manner of driving is deemed inconsiderate, careless, or dangerous, putting other road users at risk. McKennon was reported for both speeding and operating a vehicle in a dangerous condition. The incident was a textbook example of how high-performance vehicles, when misused, can quickly become a hazard rather than a status symbol.
The legal consequences for McKennon arrived eight months later. On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, he appeared before Basildon Magistrates’ Court to answer for his actions. The court handed down a 56-day driving ban for the speeding offense—just shy of two months off the road. In addition, McKennon received three penalty points on his license for the illegal tinted windows and was ordered to pay nearly £1,700 in fines and costs. The precise total, as confirmed by BBC News and other local outlets, was £1,708.
PC Matthew Mehen, of Essex Police’s Boreham Roads Policing Unit, did not mince words after the hearing. In a statement echoed across multiple news reports, he said: “Speeding at this level is completely unacceptable and shows a reckless disregard for safety. Excessive speed dramatically reduces a driver’s ability to react to changing road conditions and shortens braking distances, all of which are clearly outlined in the Highway Code. Ignoring speed limits not only endangers lives but is a criminal offence. We will continue to take firm action against anyone who chooses to break the law and put others at risk.”
The case has reignited discussion about the dangers of speeding and the importance of vehicle safety standards. According to the Essex Police, speeding is a known contributing factor to serious and fatal collisions. Their ongoing efforts to promote road safety include routine patrols, targeted enforcement days, and public reporting initiatives like the Safer Essex Roads Partnership’s Extra Eyes program, which allows members of the public to submit footage of dangerous driving for police review.
Window tinting, while sometimes seen as a cosmetic upgrade or a way to enhance privacy, is strictly regulated in the UK for safety reasons. The law stipulates that windscreens must allow at least 75% of visible light through, while the front driver and passenger windows must allow at least 70%. Anything less can significantly reduce a driver’s visibility, particularly at night or during poor weather conditions, increasing the risk of accidents. In McKennon’s case, the tints allowed less than 30% of light transmission, well below the legal threshold.
The A120, a major route connecting East Anglia to Stansted Airport and beyond, has a national speed limit of 70mph. It’s a fast road, but not one designed for the kinds of speeds McKennon was clocked at. According to police, the Lamborghini’s speed was not only dangerous for McKennon himself but posed a significant risk to everyone else using the road that day. The fact that officers were able to intercept the vehicle without incident is a testament to both their training and the cooperation of other drivers who maintained the speed limit and created the conditions for a safe stop.
This incident also highlights Essex Police’s commitment to the Vision Zero initiative, a joint ambition with local partners to achieve zero road deaths by 2040 or sooner. Each enforcement action, like the one involving McKennon, is seen as a step toward that goal. As PC Mehen put it, “We work hard to ensure road safety across the county through routine patrols, targeted days of action and reporting drivers for their poor and dangerous driving decisions.”
For McKennon, the consequences of a few minutes of thrill-seeking were severe: a nearly two-month driving ban, a blemished license, and a hefty fine. But the message from Essex authorities is clear—the law applies to everyone, whether they’re behind the wheel of a family hatchback or a six-figure supercar. As more drivers equip their vehicles with dashcams and report dangerous behavior through initiatives like Extra Eyes, it’s likely that similar incidents will be caught and prosecuted in the future.
In the end, this story serves as a stark reminder that speed and style are no substitute for safety and responsibility. The roads of Essex—and indeed, the entire UK—are safer when everyone follows the rules, no matter what badge is on the bonnet.