Former policeman Kenneth Todd was convicted yesterday of driving dangerously and being involved in a motorway incident in which a lorry driver died.

The 49-year-old retired constable drove in front of 55-year-old Peter Boyle to stop him over-taking. The incident ended when Mr Boyle's heavy lorry went off the M8 on the outskirts of Glasgow and crashed into a concrete pillar on the central reservation.

Mr Boyle, a grandfather, of Gairbraid Avenue, Maryhill, Glasgow died from multiple injuries.

A motorist who saw the accident chased after Todd flashing his lights and got his registration number. But the accused failed to stop.

A jury found Todd, of Meikleriggs Drive, Paisley, guilty of driving dangerously and causing Mr Boyle's death on January 8 last year. He was also found guilty of failing to stop and report the accident

Sheriff Duncan Lowe deferred sentence for reports and continued bail. During the trial, Mr Francis McAulay, of Davies Quadrant, Motherwell, told Miss Catriona Bryden, prosecuting, that a ''cat and mouse'' game went on for nearly a mile in near darkness around 4.30pm.

When the lorry moved into the ''fast'' lane the other car moved in front of it and the lorry skidded on to the central reservation, he said.

Mr McAulay said he flashed his lights at the car which he thought slowed down about 50 yards further on.

Another motorist, Mr Ian O'Donnell, of Ledi Drive, Bearsden, said he overtook the lorry then looked in his rear-view mirror.

Mr O'Donnell said he saw the lorry moving into the outside lane and then a car moving out in front of it from the middle lane and obstructing it.

Then the lorry seemed to go ''sideways'' on to the central reservation and there was a ''horrendous collision''.

He waved to attract the driver's attention but the car did not slow down and he said he chased after it but did not catch up with it.

Todd, whose wife was in the car with him at the time of the incident, said he had been driving for 33 years and did not have an endorsement on his licence.

He told defending advocate Mr Peter Gray he was aware the lorry was driving dangerously close to him and he accelerated away from it.

Todd said his impression was the lorry was ''snaking'' about the road and seemed to be in some trouble and that he was unaware it had left the road.

Police traffic experts told the court they could not tell from examining the scene what might have caused the accident.