A MOTORIST brought road chaos to southern Hampshire when he drove the wrong way along two of the county's busiest motorways.

Police blocked parts of the M27 and the M3 in a bid to stop the driver who sparked the drama at about 8pm last night.

Scores of drivers on the two motorways pulled over and phone police as they were confronted by headlights coming on the road towards them the wrong way.

The middle-aged motorist was eventually stopped on the M3 when he collided with a Ford Escort coming south.

The drama began when the dark- coloured Vauxhall Corsa was seen being driven erratically along the south bound section of the M3 before it stopped at the Rownhams service station.

Shortly before 8pm the vehicle was driven out of the car park and bizarrely headed the wrong way down the M27 west bound section.

The confused driver then astonishingly turned north onto the south section of the M3 motorway and eventually crashed into an oncoming Ford Escort near the Eastleigh junction where it eventually rolled to a halt.

The driver, a 53-year-old man from Basingstoke who is believed to have been the only occupant of the Vauxhall, was arrested and taken to Eastleigh police station.

He was formally breathalised but police say he was found to be under the limit.

A police spokesman said: "There is no doubt the prompt response from the public to the police prevented serious injury to other road users.

"Although three vehicles were slightly damaged, a number of people suffered shock but no one was physically injured.''