Dozens of cars drive wrong way up motorway slip road to avoid traffic

Police cameras have captured dozens of motorists turning the wrong way along a slip road into oncoming traffic to avoid traffic jams on the M1

A coach completes an illegal u-turn onto a slip road of the M1 – the driver has since resigned (Northamptonshire Police)

Dozens of drivers have been recorded making illegal U-turns on a motorway slip road in what police have called "shocking footage".

The CCTV footage, released by Northamptonshire police, was recorded just before 9pm on 5 July during heavy traffic on the M1.

The drivers performed the risky maneuvers at junction 18 near Crick to get off the M1 to avoid traffic from a serious accident which had taken place at Junction 19.

Dave Lee, of the tactical roads policing unit, said: "These people were behaving ridiculously.

"People joining the motorway aren't expecting other vehicles to be coming towards them."

"These drivers were not only putting their own lives at risk, they were risking the lives of everyone heading down that slip road," he said.

A road safety official stops a van after it u-turned in the wrong direction on to an M1 slip road to avoid a traffic jam (Northamptonshire Police)

The video shows several vehicles going the wrong way on the motorway including a van with a trailer and a coach which had to do a three point turn to complete the move.

Police are investigating the footage so action can be taken against the drivers.

The coach company Reays, based in Wigton, has confirmed that the driver caught on police camera driving illegally has resigned.