A CONFUSED motorist drove ten miles in the wrong direction along a dual carriageway, a court heard.

Pavlos Achilleas, a stranger to the North-East, intended to drive south back to London following a failed liaison with a woman in the region.

Amid heavy snowfall, however, he did not realise he had turned onto the northbound carriageway and carried on driving, in the early hours of Sunday, November 28.

Durham Crown Court heard that there were few vehicles on the road, but several flashed his VW Golf to indicate he was travelling in the wrong direction.

Jennifer Haigh, prosecuting, said: "The traffic wasn't heavy, and maybe he did not realise he was posing a danger.

"But it was certainly obvious to everyone coming the other way, who were ringing police."

Achilleas was eventually pulled over by a patrol car near Sheraton, between Peterlee and Hartlepool, and gave a negative breath test reading.

Mrs Haigh said: "Thankfully there was no accident or collision. It seems reasonable to assume he got onto that carriageway by accident or in error.

"It doesn't matter whether he knew what he was doing was dangerous, but, it was dangerous to everyone else."

Achilleas, 42, of Palmers Green, north London, who has no previous convictions, admitted dangerous driving.

Richard Woolfall, mitigating, told the court Achilleas met a woman from the North-East in London and had come up to see her for the weekend, but left early, following a row.

"He says he got onto the A19 in thick snow after a double mini roundabout, side-by-side.

"He doesn't know which direction he came from, but it was snowing heavily and the road signs were covered in snow.

"The traffic flow wasn't heavy and, due to the depth of snow, all vehicles travelling northbound were in the nearside lane following each other up the carriageway.

"He unwittingly joined the A19 and travelled in the other lane thinking he was driving on a narrow single carriageway road."

Judge Christopher Prince said normally such driving would merit a prison sentence but in the "exceptional" circumstances he could take a more lenient view.

"I'm satisfied you mistakenly drove down that carriageway in very snowy conditions."

Judge Prince imposed an 8pm - 6am home curfew, without electronic tagging, as part of 29-day community order.

Achilleas was also banned from driving for a year.