A MAN from a village in the area who drove ten and a half miles on the wrong side of a busy A-road has been sentenced.

Derrick Ind, aged 81, of Point Road, Avening, admitted driving a blue Ford Fiesta dangerously on the A417 and A419 near Swindon on April 14.

He pleaded guilty at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday, Tuesday, July 16. 

Ind was pulled over by police officers just after 9pm after travelling 17km northbound on the southbound carriageway.

He said he was confused by roadworks and diversions, but officers said there were 15 locations along the route where he could have safely pulled over.

Ind, who has been driving since 1960 and has no points on his licence, was said to be healthy, not on any medication or showing signs of cognitive issues, but he panicked when his routine was disrupted.

Mr McCarthy, defending, told the court: “He’s extremely upset at what has happened. He’s angry at himself because he can’t work out why it’s happened.

“He has lost sleep since then and had nightmares.”

The Magistrate said it was a ‘horrendously serious incident’.

Ind was fined £2,000 with a surcharge of £800 - a total of £2,800. 

He has been disqualified from driving for one year and will have to take an extended retest to get his license back.