Madrid - Spanish police detained a 60-year-old man who had driven since the age of 14 without a driving licence, radio reports said Wednesday.

The man was caught at the wheel of a car during a routine check in Plasencia in the west of the country.

The man said he had no licence because he was illiterate.

He had nevertheless driven "all kinds of vehicles," including lorries and construction machinery, "without any problem."

The astonished police officers reported the man for endangering road safety. (dpa)