A drink driver who was caught going the wrong way down the Surrey section of the M25 while police were escorting a 437-tonne abnormal load has been banned from driving by the courts.
36-year-old Kieran Pepperell has been disqualified from driving for 14 months and ordered to pay more than £1,000 following the incident in November 2024 which occurred between junctions 8 and 9 on the Surrey section of the motorway.
In a description of the incident published on the Surrey Police Facebook page a spokesperson said: “Back in November, our officers were escorting a 437-tonne abnormal load from Tilbury Docks to Weybridge overnight. As they travelled between Junction 8 and 9 of the M25, police bikers noticed a black Audi A1 travelling against the motorway traffic towards them.
“Realising the police motorcyclist was particularly vulnerable, as well as many members of the public, the police car at the head of the convoy positioned itself directly in the path of the approaching Audi, accepting it might collide with them and cause them serious injury.
“The driver eventually braked, narrowly missing the police car, and came to a stop. He was immediately removed from the car and blew 49 on a roadside breath test. He was arrested for drink driving and blew 47 in police custody (reminder: the legal limit is 35).”
The statement went on to say that it is not known how Pepperell came to be driving the wrong way on the motorway but that this serious breach of the Highway Code would have required him to get around a significant amount of street furniture.
On New Years Eve (December 31), Pepperell was disqualified from driving for 14 months and ordered to pay costs and fines of £1,322 when he appeared at Guildford Magistrates Court.
Surrey Police have urged the public not to drive after drinking alcohol under any circumstances. This is an offence which can lead to jail time, being disqualified from driving, or a hefty fine.
The statement concluded: “It is only due to sheer luck that no one was seriously injured in this incident.”