English Heritage's senior gardens curator for the north is banned from driving despite arguing disqualification would stop him working at remote Yorkshire sites

Dr Michael Klemperer, 59, told Harrogate Magistrates Court that he was likely to lose his job, which involves overseeing the gardens at 35 historic sites, due to the six-month disqualification handed out by the bench under ‘totting up’ rules.

The experienced horticulturalist and landscape archaeologist pleaded exceptional hardship, and said it was his ‘honest belief’ he would be dismissed by English Heritage if he was unable to drive to remote properties under his care, such as Rievaulx Abbey in the North York Moors and Mount Grace Priory near Northallerton.

Dr Klemperer, of Dore in Sheffield, was caught travelling at 70mph in a 60mph zone in Tadcaster last November while driving a hired Transit van. At the time, he already had nine points on his licence.

He admitted the offence, but asked magistrates to consider suspending a ban to enable him to keep his £40,000-per year role – describing English Heritage’s approach to disciplinary matters as ‘strict and old-fashioned’.

Dr Klemperer told magistrates that he trains staff, mentors head gardeners and performs media duties across the country for English Heritage, as well as responding to emergencies including extreme weather, colleague illness and press calls, driving up to 60,000 miles annually. However, the bench disputed that giving interviews to journalists could be classed as an ‘emergency’ task, pointing out that ‘advance planning’ by the organisation could enable them to be covered.

He added that his role was so specialised that there are only five similar head gardens curators in the country, working for either English Heritage or the National Trust, and added: “My job defines me. My life is enmeshed in that role. I also do events for the Yorkshire Gardens Trust and gardening clubs, and help students. I go down to my mother’s house in the south once a week to help do her gardening.”

He told the bench he had also suffered serious health problems this year and that he had ‘minimal chance’ of remaining in his post, as he had not told his employers about the court case.

"I would be unable to perform my duties visiting remote sites.”

However, he was told by the chair of the bench: “We accept that any disqualification causes hardship, but this does not reach the high bar for exceptional circumstances.”

Dr Klemperer, who was estate manager at Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley before joining English Heritage, was also fined £457, which included police costs.