A Ferrari, a Lotus, two speeding geeks and a car-jacker

Two city IT workers have been found guilty of careless driving, after they were caught by police speeding through the streets of London in their high-powered cars.

Ferrari driver Brian Hooper, 28, and Lotus owner Jonathon Waring, 21, were seen driving recklessly round blind bends, roundabouts and a bridge - and then proceeded to compound their problems by running a red light.

They blamed their behaviour on fears the officers' unmarked car was a would-be car-jacker, according to Ananova.

In evidence, Waring said that a mobile phone call from Hooper alerted him to the possibility that a black vehicle following them was being driven by a car-jacker.

Waring had been the victim of a similar crime before, and it didn't occur to him that it was the police, according to the report.

He said: "We had to take account of the potential danger we were in."

A jury at London's Southwark Crown Court took just under three hours to unanimously convict both of careless driving in August last year. The pair were let off the more serious charge of driving dangerously. Judge Stephen Robbins adjourned sentencing for a week. They face fines of up to £2,500 each.