A 27-year-old man has been charged with drink driving and dangerous driving after officers spotted a vehicle driving the wrong way down the M4.

Chistopher Duggen of Ford Street was spotted shortly before 5am on Sunday,  by a roads policing officer was on duty in a marked police vehicle on junction 16 of the M4, contravening a no-entry sign on the exit slip road from the M4 westbound. 

The officer immediately turned his vehicle around and spotted a Saab 900 travelling east along the hard shoulder of the westbound carriageway of the M4.

The officer joined the motorway on the eastbound carriageway and called for assistance, while following the vehicle from the opposite side of the road. 

The Saab exited the M4 westbound carriageway at Junction 15 and rejoined it again by contravening a second no-entry sign on the exit slip road continuing against the flow of traffic. 

Several police vehicles were sent to try to intercept the Saab and it was stopped on the hard shoulder before Membury services. 

Duggen was arrested and taken to Gablecross Police Station. He has now been charged and released on bail.

He is due in Swindon Mafistrates Court on March 6.

Duty Inspector Rachel Hardy said: “The officers involved in this incident made some fast time decisions to bring the vehicle to a stop and prevent a serious, and potentially fatal collision from occurring with members of the public. 

“As we all know, driving conditions have been difficult for the past few days, with temperatures dropping well below freezing overnight. The driver of this vehicle put himself, his passenger, and other road users lives in grave danger.

“It is extremely fortunate that no one was injured during this incident. Although the M4 was relatively quiet at this time, there were a number of lorries and cars using this stretch of motorway at the time, and no doubt their concentration would have been seriously impacted by this incident.”


If you have dash-cam footage which may help with police enquiries, please call 101 and quote crime reference number 54190011346.