Gareth Cliff caught doing 182km/h

Johannesburg - Controversial 5FM radio personality Gareth Cliff was arrested for speeding in Pretoria on Tuesday night, said Gauteng traffic police.

Cliff was caught driving 182km/h an hour in a 120km/h zone on the R21 in Lyttelton, said Gauteng traffic police spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo.

He was expected to appear in court in Pretoria on Wednesday on charges of speeding and reckless or negligent driving, she said.

SA Broadcasting Corporation spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said he was unaware of Cliff's arrest and could not comment until he had all the relevant information.

The news of the shock jock's arrest began trending on social media site Twitter, under the hashtag FreeGarethCliff.

Some users expressed their sympathy for Cliff, but one said: "Just because he's the best radio host in the country doesn't mean we just overlook his wrongdoings."

Cliff, an avid tweeter, had not posted any updates since his arrest.

His last post - about an hour before - was a photo of a penguin at the Durban Idols audition.