A DRUNK woman who got behind the wheel after drinking a bottle of rosé wine and drove the wrong way on a motorway had to be rammed off the road.

Emma Thompson has been jailed after she drove the wrong way on the M25 after getting into an argument with her dad.

The 30-year-old, of Great Berry Lane, Langdon Hills, appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday for sentencing.

Police received reports of the car driving the wrong way at about 11.25pm on April 15 this year, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A police officer drove to the scene and went into the Bell Common Tunnel between junction 26 and 27, and noticed Thompson’s car coming at him at speed.

He turned on the car’s lights and sirens to ensure she stopped, but Thompson kept going.

At this point, the officer stopped his car in the path of Thompson as he felt he had no other option to stop her before a more serious crash too place, and Thompson crashed into him.

Neither the officer or Thompson were injured and he helped her out of the car and stayed with her at the roadside.

The police car suffered £6,263 worth of damage.

Thompson was later breathalysed and had 149mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, nearly double the drink-drive limit of 80mg.

Darryl Cherrett, mitigating, said: “It was highly emotionally charged, a massive error of judgement which has haunted her since April, and will continue to haunt her for some time.

“She regrets it and has significant remorse and doesn’t wish anyone any harm.”

Judge Ian Graham told Thompson: “This all happened, I am told, after a row with your father during the difficult circumstances in lockdown.”

He handed Thompson eight months in prison for dangerous driving, and a concurrent sentence for drunk-driving, and praised the police officer for his actions, saying he showed “considerable courage”.

Judge Graham told the court: “He showed great presence of mind taking her from the vehicle and looking after her to prevent further injury being caused.”