A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving after heading the wrong way down the M6 motorway.
Police were called to reports of a vehicle going "contra", a shorthand term used to say a driver is heading in the wrong direction for the road they're using, along the M6, with the vehicle heading north on the southbound carriageway.
When officers from the North West Motorway Policing Group reached the motorway and located the driver, they found the vehicle stopped in a "live lane", an open lane on the carriageway that could see the vehicle become a hazard for anyone travelling along the road.
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Officers were able to move the Toyota Aqua into a service station, where the driver was given a drugs swab, allegedly testing positive for cannabis. The driver was arrested at the scene and taken to custody on Sunday night, July 10.
The patrol tweeted about the incident from the North West Motorway Police Twitter account. The post read: "We have made to a report of vehicle going contra on M6 heading north on the southbound carriageway.
"Vehicle located by patrols stopped in a live lane, vehicle removed to services where the driver tested positive for cannabis - now under arrest and heading to custody."
Driving in reverse or the wrong way down a slip road or a motorway is an offence and drivers found to be committing this crime can be punished with a maximum fine of up to £2,500. Three points could also be added to your licence.
Many driving offences, such as driving whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol, can carry driving bans too, with those convicted of the offence losing their licence for at least 12 months.
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