New footage has emerged of a vehicle being driven the wrong way down the A1 in Northumberland at one of the county's most notorious junctions. The recording shows a black car turning south in the northbound lane at Swarland.
The incident took place at the turn-off for Guyzance - the same location where last month a large motorhome was forced to complete a u-turn in the middle of the road after making the same mistake. On this occasion, the vehicle was stopped by a nearby police car before it could drive beyond the junction.
It is understood that no-one was injured in the incident, but police inquiries remain ongoing and they are aware of the footage.
Local driver describes fear at junction
Claire Barber, owner of Claire Barber PR, lives near Alnwick and regularly travels to Newcastle for work. She said that this and other incidents like it have put her off using the A1.
She said: "I was at the Swarland turn off in the fast lane two days before this incident when somebody pulled halfway across the carriageway and couldn't get fully over, so I had to pull out in front of a lorry in the other lane. It's got to the point now where I would rather take a different route to get to Newcastle. Every time I go there's an incident of some form or another - every time."
She added: "One of the worst junctions is the one at West Chevington - you have to sit in the middle of the road. I was sat there and had vehicles thundering passed - I was frightened. It has got to the point where I hear about an accident and I worry it is going to be friends or my family. If every junction was the same, people wouldn't get confused."
Calls for consistent dual carriageway
There have been a number of serious collisions on the A1 in Northumberland this year, and six people have been killed. This has reignited calls for the road to be consistently dual carriageway throughout the county.
There have been claims that the repeated switches between single and dual carriageway cause significant confusion, particularly among visitors to the region who are not used to the roads. The Government has committed to improving junctions on the route.
Improvements planned for Guyzance junction
Last week, it was confirmed that improvements would be made at the Guyzance junction, with a particular focus on the southbound carriageway. The area has seen 19 casualties since 2005.
A southbound deceleration lane will be installed, which would see an extra 100 metres of carriageway, removing traffic from the running lane and allowing drivers to safely turn left. National Highways say the central reservation area, lining and signage will all also be improved, with work set to start next year.
