Video: CCTV as sat nav app sends cyclist on to M25

A cyclist caused travel chaos after a phone app directed him to Britain's busiest motorway, the M25, in the rush hour.

The misguided rider ended up pedalling for some miles on the southern section of the M25 in Surrey.

With drivers, and others, taking to Twitter to give their views of the man, there were long hold-ups for morning traffic on the often-clogged motorway.

One police officer tweeted that the cyclist had been seen between junctions 12 and 13 of the motorway. He was eventually removed from the motorway and given a £50 fine.

Another police tweet said: “A male was looking for a shorter route to cycle home from work. Phone app sent him on motorway so thought it OK.”

Another read: “Nice chap but unaware of the rules of the road, believed it OK to ride/walk on hard shoulder - struggled to see why not. Genuine mistake I’m sure but could have stopped at bottom of slip road! Most children know not to stray onto a motorway.”

One person caught up in the delays was Hannah Leonard, who tweeted:: “My usual 40 minute commute to work took an hour and a half due to a cyclist on the M25!”

Most of those who went on to Twitter to comment had little sympathy with the cyclist, dubbing him “stupid” and “an idiot”.

Sergeant Phil Dix, from Surrey Police roads policing unit, said: “The cyclist was apparently taking a short cut home and was following a satellite navigation system on his mobile phone.

“It is extremely fortunate that there was a safe outcome and that the cyclist was not injured, or worse - especially as he had crossed several slip roads coming off the motorway. This is a good example of why motorists should always remain alert and vigilant on the roads as you never know what you may come across on your travels.

“I would urge all road users to use a commonsense approach when using a satnav, whether that be on foot, two wheels or more.”

Dez Leach, Highways Agency operations manager, said: “Thankfully this was a rare event. Safety is our top priority and as soon as we were alerted to the incident this morning, we assisted the police to monitor the cyclist and slow traffic when necessary.”