Wheelchair user's '26-mile trip'

A man in a wheelchair who was stopped by police on the A2 dual carriageway in Kent was attempting a 26-mile journey to the coast, officers said.

Kent Police said the 39-year-old man had travelled seven miles on the hard shoulder in the snow and the dark when a driver reported him on Tuesday.

The motorist contacted police at 1820 GMT after nearly running him over.

The force said the man, who was taken to hospital, claimed to be travelling from Faversham to Folkestone.

'Cold, wet and tired'

The man was found near Harbledown, on the outskirts of Canterbury.

"He claimed he was making the journey from his hometown to Folkestone," a spokesman said.

"It is possible he had already travelled seven miles. We don't know the full circumstances.

""He might have had a good reason for doing it.

"He was quite keen, but we decided to curtail his journey. I think it is fair to say he needed a bit of help."

Police said that the man was cold, wet and tired, and was taken to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury, for a check-up.