Prince Charles lookalike says one needs one's car

LONDON (Reuters) - A man who faced a driving ban after being caught speeding was allowed to keep his licence so he could keep his job -- impersonating Prince Charles.


Appearing in court wearing a dark double-breasted suit -- a look often sported by the heir-to-the-throne -- and mimicking Charles's habit of fiddling with his cufflinks, Charles Haslett, 48, persuaded magistrates not to give him an expected driving ban.


Haslett, who has spent 10 years impersonating the prince and was an official double at his 50th birthday party in 1998, said he needed his vehicle to carry clothes and props to functions all over the country, newspapers reported on Wednesday.


"It would have been a hell of a shame if the country wouldn't have been able to see me anymore," said Haslett, who also impersonates "Inspector Clouseau" and hapless waiter Manuel from the cult BBC TV show "Fawlty Towers".