A pensioner was spotted trundling along the fast lane of a busy dual carriageway in an electric wheelchair.

A taxi driver reported the man at about lunchtime on Thursday, as he made his way down the 50mph John Reid Road, in South Shields, South Tyneside.

Moving at about 8mph, the man was said to have been oblivious to what was going on around him as car drivers were forced to swerve to avoid collisions.

A police motorcyclist was rushed to the area, but the man had disappeared before the officer arrived and was never traced.

It is thought he may have been heading for nearby South Tyneside District Hospital, although a search of the grounds proved fruitless.

Inspector Simon Charlton, of South Shields police, said: "Electric wheelchairs are not designed for, or intended to be used in the fast lane of any road. I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to do anything as dangerous as that. It's utter madness."

A spokesman for Northumbria Police's motor patrol south unit said that although motorised wheelchairs are allowed on the roads, common sense should dictate exactly what roads are suitable.

"The John Reid road is not one of them," he said.

"These things are restricted to 8mph, so the fast lane of a 50mph road is dangerous, to say the least.

"Everybody has a right to use the public highways - but people should use common sense when doing so.