Hutcheson, who had previously worked on accident investigations with the police, also claimed he had been leaning across the car at an awkward angle so he could see past a dozen mannequins he had stored in the back of his car.

The court heard how police officers saw him drive past their patrol vehicle as he used an electric shaver on his face and crane his head to look in the rear view mirror.

They turned round and chased Hutcheson from the entrance to Upper Cairnie Farm, near Auchterarder, before catching up with him a mile further on.

He had one hand on the wheel and police said he appeared to be checking if he was "getting a good shave".

Hutcheson, from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, said he was a health and safety inspector and was running late to deliver a first aid training course in Dundee.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher heard that Hutcheson stood to lose his job without a licence.

The sheriff found him guilty of careless driving.

"It is near the top end of careless driving, considering the conditions you were driving in and what was going on," the sheriff said.