Woman arrested driving wrong way down M25 with wine bottle

On Wednesday (February 10) Surrey Roads Policing Unit (RPU) tweeted an image taken after they had apprehended the driver on the M25 near Leatherhead.

It showed a car stopped within a metre of an oncoming police car, with a bottle of some kind clearly visible in the foreground.

The RPU said they had stopped her after receiving various reports of a vehicle driving the wrong way down the motorway.

The car involved in the earlier drink drive, wrong way job, stopped this far from the officers car. This is the 2nd time in just a number of months the same two officers have put their self in line to stop a vehicle travelling the wrong way. Last time they had to make contact! pic.twitter.com/20oeYXjudF

— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) February 11, 2021

As a spokesperson for the unit described the incident and revealed that, miraculously, there had been no injuries:

"That silence and anticipation as a colleague calls up on the radio 'Priority message Vehicle lane 3 driving towards me, standby'.

"Following reports of a car driving the wrong way on the M25.

"Thankfully stopped with no damage or injury. Driver arrested drink drive and dangerous drive."

In a later update that accompanied the image, the force said:

"The car involved in the earlier drink drive, wrong way job, stopped this far from the officers car.

"This is the 2nd time in just a number of months the same two officers have put their self in line to stop a vehicle travelling the wrong way."

Reports where originally made by other motorists that a driver was weaving in and out of lanes and stopping on the M25, Junction 8 -9 followed by even more concerning reports a car was driving the wrong way on the M25 and at least 1 vehicle had been struck by the driver.

— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) February 10, 2021

Meanwhile, a special constable apparently attached to Surrey RPU under the Twitter username S/Insp 5823 Wright, also commented on the incident.

Tweeting out the same image as the RPU team with the bottle circled, the officer said:

"Vehicle stopped driving the wrong way on #M25 #Leatherhead.

"Female drive found with bottle of wine in her lap. 1 in custody..."

Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through alcohol is illegal in the UK, and penalties range from a possible driving ban to fines of up to £2,500 or even a prison sentence.