Wrong-way driver killed in crash

His silver Ford Focus estate travelled seven miles in the wrong direction on the M6 before ploughing into a people carrier carrying a woman and her two sons on Saturday.

The Focus was seen being driven erratically before it joined the M6 motorway at Junction 43, near Carlisle, police said.

It travelled south for around seven miles on the northbound carriageway towards Junction 42, before colliding with a Renault Espace people carrier containing three people at 5.20pm on Saturday.

The man, who has not yet been identified, died at the scene.

The 48-year-old female driver of the Espace received serious leg injuries. Her four-year-old son suffered a broken arm and her 19-year-old son received minor injuries.

The occupants of the Espace were from the Glasgow area, police said. They are being treated at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

Acting Sergeant Mick Mills of Cumbria Police's road policing unit said: "There has been some erratic driving at Junction 43 on the roundabout and then he's gone southbound and travelled six or seven miles south and near Southwaite services he's had this collision with the oncoming car. He received serious injuries and died at the scene."

Sgt Mills said the car was not believed to have been stolen. He said toxicology and blood tests would be conducted on the dead man to establish whether he was drunk or on drugs.

Police would like to hear from anyone who saw the Focus being driven erratically in Cumbria from 4pm on Saturday.