A DRIVER has been branded ‘idiotic’ for ignoring a motorway cordon put in place after a serious accident.

The Highways Agency said that Lee Emsley, 29, put the lives of its workers and other motorists at risk by the dangerous manoeuvre on the M65.

Burnley Crown Court heard he drove towards oncoming vehicles as police and highways officers were directing them off the motorway.

A member of the East Lancashire Institute of Advanced Motorists said that Emsley had shown ‘complete and utter disregard’ for other people.

Emsley, who was driving a Vauxhall Frontera, is the first person to be prosecuted in Lancashire after ignoring Highways Agency officers’ instructions.

The court was told that he broke a cordon put in place after an 81-year-old woman drove the wrong way up the eastbound carriageway, causing an accident between junction six and seven.

Emsley was originally charged with dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, which was accepted by the prosecution.

He was fined £75, with a £15 victim surcharge, £30 costs and given three penalty points.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told the court police and the Highways Agency decided to close off the area and bring off oncoming traffic at junction seven, the exit for Accrington and Clitheroe, on March 24 this year.

The signs could not display that the motorway was closed, but were made to show a 20mph speed limit.

Miss Statham said all three lanes of the M65 were coned off at the sliproad at junction seven and cones stopped at the hard shoulder, leaving a gap between the hard shoulder and sliproad.

Various high visibility Highways Agency vehicles were within the cordoned area and it was quite obvious there was a problem beyond junction seven.

All other vehicles, at 11.20pm, had been able to follow the signage and cones and had come off properly at junction seven.

The defendant started to come off at the sliproad when he appeared to have decided to go back onto the motorway and onto the hard shoulder.

The hazard that he would have come up against was that the police had turned round all the standing traffic.

The prosecutor said a police officer would say he saw Emsley going along the hard shoulder at 30mph.

As soon as he saw the defendant, he held his hand up in a ‘Stop’ sign and the defendant pulled up.

Miss Statham said: "Clearly there was the potential hazard of an accident had he continued up the hard shoulder.

"No accident was caused. The defendant immediately apologised and said: ‘Sorry mate, but I needed to go to Preston.’"

The court was told the defendant got eight penalty points in April 2005 for no insurance and no licence.

Giles Bridge, for Emsley, said the defendant passed his test in June 2007 and if he got six or more points his licence would be revoked and he would have to resit his test.

He made an error of judgement and immediately stopped for the officer.

Emsley was involved in a road accident in 1997 when he was on a bike.

That had some effect on his cognitive function and he had some brain damage, the court heard.

After the case the Highways Agency's North West Divisional Director David Grunwell said road workers and traffic officers had been working to re-open the road and Emsley had put their safety at risk.

He added: "I hope that drivers in the region are rapidly getting the message that it is an offence to ignore the instructions of Highways Agency traffic officers."

Allan Whipp, of the East Lancashire Institute of Advanced Motorists, said Emsley driving was "absolutely idiotic."

He added: "Driving like that is a result of a very selfish attitude.

"He's shown a complete and utter disregard for everyone's safety."

Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA, said: "It's an example of stupid driving.

"But perhaps it's also an example of how hurried our society has become.

"You are always getting people doing stupid things because they are in a hurry."

The maximum sentence for driving without due care and attention is a £2,500 fine and a driving ban.