Motorist sentenced to 14 months after driving wrong way around M25

Mitchell Locke, 20, also banned from driving for three years after extraordinary 10 minute journey into oncoming traffic in Kent 

Mitchell Locke has been banned from driving for three years.Photograph: Kent police/PA

A motorist drove the wrong way for nine miles down major roads including Britain’s busiest motorway.
Mitchell Locke was banned from driving for three years and sentenced to 14 months in a young offender institution after his black BMW was seen travelling in an anti-clockwise direction on the clockwise section of the M25 in Kent.
After leaving the motorway, the 20-year-old continued driving into oncoming traffic trying to join the A2, a major dual carriageway, before finally colliding with two other vehicles on a sliproad.

Much of the extraordinary 10-minute journey in September was captured on CCTV and Locke was sentenced at Dartford and Gravesham magistrates court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Police said it was remarkable that no one was hurt.
Sgt Rob Dell said: ‘”For around 10 minutes, Locke travelled in the wrong direction on a major motorway and a major dual carriageway.
“Where there was no hard shoulder, he would move out into the live carriageway into oncoming traffic. It is remarkable there were no serious injuries.”
He said reports of a vehicle driving the wrong way on the M25 near junction 4 began coming in shortly before 2.30pm on 4 September.

“People were calling 999 to tell us drivers were having to move out of the way of the ongoing car,” he said.
“The vehicle came off the motorway at junction 3, the Swanley interchange, then rejoined the carriageway and continued the wrong way to junction 2.
“Still against the flow of traffic, the BMW came off at the Darenth interchange and continued the wrong way by heading east, towards Canterbury, on the London-bound A2.
“The car exited at the busy Bean interchange, heading into oncoming traffic trying to join the A2. Finally, on the sliproad at 2:39pm, the BMW collided with a Suzuki Swift and a Nissan Leaf.”
Locke, of Kenley in south London, will have to take an extended driving test before he is allowed to get behind the wheel again.

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