A man who was caught driving almost 50mph over the speed limit has been told he’s not fit to be a cabbie.

Allan Crawford was clocked speeding towards Glasgow at 118mph by cops, landing him a £750 fine and a 12-month driving ban.

He was also convicted after repeatedly punching his ex-partner, obtaining the services of a prostitute, and undertaking cars at 80mph on the M80.

But Mr Crawford insisted a series of unfortunate events had led to each of the incidents, which dated from June 2007 to March 2016.

Appearing in front of Glasgow’s licensing bosses, he said: “I wasn’t driving at 118mph, it was 105mph.

“I was working in Birmingham and I received a call that my dad had a heart attack and I was trying to get up to Glasgow as fast as I could.”

On the second speeding charge, where he was caught undertaking cars on the M80, Mr Crawford said he only did that because the outside lanes were “congested”.

A Police Scotland spokesman told the licensing committee that Mr Crawford’s ex-partner had been left with swelling to her eye and bruises on her body after he assaulted her.

The woman had been renting a home from Mr Crawford at the time, but things became heated when he served her with notice that he wanted her to leave the property.

The wannabe cabbie denied punching her, instead saying he grabbed her by the wrist after she spat in his face, kicked his front door and began shouting and swearing.

Licensing committee members were also told that Mr Crawford was observed by plain clothed police officers attempting to pick up a prostitute on James Watt Street in the city centre.

He admitted he was offered a sexual service but insisted that he refused the woman’s advances despite pleading guilty in court.

And after Police Scotland said he was observed checking his wallet, Mr Crawford claimed he was not intending to pay the woman for sex but was instead looking for loose change to pay for her bus fare.

He insisted he had been staying with his partner at the Radisson Blu hotel on Argyle Street when the incident happened.

Licensing committee member Robert Connelly said: “The speeding offences are very worrying considering you’re applying for a cab licence. We have to ensure our drivers are not going to be using our streets like a racing track.

“The assault charge, when you were explaining the circumstances, your recollection of events was that your ex-partner was at your door after you asked her to move out. If I was her, I wouldn’t spit in your face but I would want an explanation.”

Committee members rejected Mr Crawford’s private hire car driver’s licence application meaning he can’t now apply again for at least another year.