TWO men were pulled over by the police after driving at speeds of up to 100mph on the M3 near Basingstoke and undertaking vehicles using the hard shoulder.

Daniel Ko and Rajiv Ruparelia were driving northbound in separate cars on June 2 last year, when they were spotted by PC Andrew Wright, an officer in an unmarked police car near junction 6, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Rachel Roberston, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court: “As he moved into the middle lane, he was immediately overtaken by two vehicles in the outside lane – first a black sports car driven by Mr Ko, second a white car by Mr Ruparelia.

“He said both were travelling at speeds exceeding the 70mph limit, at about 100mph, and they were travelling close together and quickly went out of view as they overtook other vehicles.”

She added: “He believed the two vehicles were racing one another. He describes the vehicles as using all three lanes of the carriageway as well as the hard shoulder to overtake and undertake vehicles.”

The officer put on his lights and pulled Ruparelia to the hard shoulder, while Ko was later found at Fleet services, near Hartley Wintney.

Both men were in the dock for sentence. A jury found Ko, of Coburn Gardens, Cheltenham, guilty of dangerous driving, while Ruparelia, of Station Road, Edgware, London, had pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier hearing.

The court heard the men knew each other and had been travelling back to London from the Goodwood Festival of Speed when the offence occurred. Ko, 25, was driving an Audi R8, while Ruparelia, 23, drove a Nissan GTR.

Both Angela Kerner, representing Ko, and Melissa Millin, representing Ruparelia, said their clients were not racing each other.

Judge Keith Cutler sentenced Ko to a 12-month community order, with 150 hours unpaid work. He was also disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Ruparelia also received a 12-month community order, with 100 hours unpaid work. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.