Police in Devon stop cyclist riding the wrong way... along the M5 Motorway

Police in Devon this morning stopped a cyclist who was riding along the hard shoulder of the M5 – and heading in the opposite direction to traffic, reports the BBC.

They were responding to reports of the rider travelling on the northbound lane of the motorway at around 7am this morning close to Junction 28 at Cullompton.

Cycling on motorways is banned under section 253 of the Highway Code. There was no news on what action, if any, Devon & Cornwall Police took against the rider.

However, that doesn’t stop some cyclists from taking to them, whether deliberately in violation of the law or due to an honest mistake.

Two years ago, we reported on a rider in Yorkshire who was spotted riding along the hard shoulder of the M62 in the wrong direction in evening rush hour, who turned off at a junction before police were able to find him.

In 2002, two members of the Kenya cycling team took the M61 on a training ride ahead of that year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester, fortunately without incident.

After spending 45 minutes riding up the hard shoulder in national kit, they were stopped by police who said afterwards, “We understand that this was a genuine mistake."