Drink driver caught on wrong side of M25 to avoid road closure is jailed

A DRINK driver who drove on the wrong side of the M25 to avoid a road closure was lucky a serious crash didn't take place, police have said.

Multiple 999 calls were made by members of the public in the early hours of Wednesday, February 21, after Jake Port's van was seen travelling in the wrong direction on the M25.

Police caught the white van driving the wrong way from Brook Street roundabout, heading towards the M11 junction, before it was stopped and Port, of Whalebone Lane North, Romford, was arrested.

Jailed - Jake Port (Image: Essex Police)

When breathalysed at the roadside, he was twice the legal drink drive limit.

PC Dale Barnes, of Essex Police's roads policing unit, said: “Having this level of alcohol in your system means you may think you are a competent driver, but your reactions and judgement are impaired.

“This is a dangerous combination.

“We’re very grateful to the motorists who called 999 that night to ensure that other motorists weren’t put further at risk by Port’s actions, and to bring the incident to a stop.

“Frankly, Port is fortunate that a serious collision didn’t happen.”

Damaged - Port's van (Image: Essex Police)

During an interview at Grays Police Station, the 35-year-old admitted he was driving in the wrong direction because the road closure on the B track, the side of the road he should have been on, meant he was running out of fuel.

Port was charged with dangerous driving and drink driving and was remanded into custody to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court the following day.

He was jailed for a year at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, fined £200 and banned from driving for two years and eight months.