A SPRIGHTLY dance organiser's 60-year driving career came to a stop in spectacular fashion when his Rover collided with six cars and two fence posts.

Retired ladies' hairdresser George Reveley, 87, who helps to run dances in which he still takes part himself at Starbeck, Harrogate, was in the town's magistrates court yesterday after his trip for an ice-cream ended in disaster.

Prosecutor Rodney Noon said Reveley had driven his car - an automatic - from his home in Haywra Street, Harrogate, to the nearby village of Ripley and had parked on the castle access road, while he ate locally-produced ice-cream.

Then his troubles began. He reversed into the car behind, panicked and drove forward into the one in front.

A series of other collisions followed. The Rover went across the access road, knocked down a fence post and then struck another parked car, pushing it sideways into a post.

Reveley's car then broke off another post before hitting a fourth car which was pushed into a fifth. The Rover then cannoned back across the road into a sixth car before finally stopping.

''Six cars and two fence posts were damaged in fairly short order,'' said Mr Noon when Reveley admitted careless driving.

Reveley's solicitor, Geoffrey Rogers, said his driving licence meant everything to him. If he lost it he would be unable to play his part in local dances, including ferrying equipment to the hall, which were a big part of his life.

He had been driving for over 60 years with the only previous blemish on his licence three penalty points for careless driving 15 years ago.

Fining Reveley £130 with £70 costs and five penalty points, court chairman Janet Frankland also ordered him to take a fresh driving test before going back on the road unsupervised.

''We must think of the safety of other road users and have regard to your age,'' she told him.

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, November 13, 2003