DANGEROUS drivers caught on camera travelling the WRONG way on a slip road to the A12 near Colchester in order to avoid tailback traffic has been lambasted.

Vehicles were filmed driving in the opposite direction on the London-bound carriageway of the A120, before indicating right to go up the Severalls slip-road.

The audacious manoeuvres were carried out while oncoming drivers were still trying to travel in the correct direction towards the A12.

The motorists’ moments of madness are believed to have occurred at about 1.30pm on Saturday after performing U-turns at the Ardleigh Interchange.

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It is understood they endangered themselves and other road-users to avoid being caught up in standstill traffic which had started to congest further along the A12.

The busy road had been closed by Essex Police after a woman fell from a bridge between the Colchester United stadium and Stanway.

According to eyewitnesses as many as 30 cars were spotted risking theirs and others lives by driving the wrong way on the A120 before exiting the road at Severalls within the space of ten minutes.

Gerard Oxford, Colchester councillor for Highwoods, said: “This is atrocious and stupidly dangerous, regardless of why they were held up.

“To actually U-turn and then drive the wrong way up a road is absolutely outrageous and it cannot be allowed to happen.

“It is just not on at all and the drivers coming the correct way then had these cars coming in their face.

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“It is crazy what some people will do.

“I hope the police are going to take some action because the evidence is clear.”

Essex Police has now appealed to anyone with footage or information to contact the force.

A spokesman said: "We were made aware of a number of vehicles using the London-bound A12 on-slip at junction 29 to exit the road during an incident on Saturday afternoon.

"A road closure had been put in place after a woman fell from a bridge onto the A12 at about 1.20pm.

"Thankfully, this did not continue as the London-bound carriageway had very recently been re-opened.

"We thank those who brought it to our attention.

"If anyone has any information on this particular incident, please contact us on 101."