Wrong way M4 driver causes panic

Attempts are being made to trace the driver

A man has told how a car going the wrong way down the M4 in south Wales nearly hit the car he was travelling in.

Tony Stephens, from Port Talbot, took a picture of the car coming the other way during rush hour near Swansea.

He has described how the driver must have passed "within inches of hundreds of other drivers", many of whom were travelling at around 70mph.

South Wales Police said attempts were being made to trace the driver.

Mr Stephens spotted the old Nissan saloon coming the other way while he was on his mobile telephone, and took a picture as the two vehicles passed each other.

I could not believe my eyes Tony Stephens

He was in a car being driven by 24-year-old Ian Jenkins from Swansea during the evening rush hour on Thursday.

The driver straddled the white line between the inside and middle lanes of the west bound carriageway of the M4 - except he was going east, said Mr Stephens.

The driver is thought to have gone down the exit slip road at Junction 47 Swansea west, and to have left the motorway three miles later at the Morriston turn off.

"To make matters worse it was raining at the time," he said.

'Amazing'

"The motorway was packed. It is amazing there was not a collision. He must have passed within inches of hundreds of other drivers.

"It was rush hour and a lot of people were heading home.

"I could not believe my eyes. Drivers all over the place were blaring their horns and trying to keep out of his way.

"He was not even on the hard shoulder," he added.

Police Sergeant Ken Williams, from South Wales Police's motorway section, said the driver was being traced.