A pensioner who drove down a motorway in the wrong direction, causing drivers to swerve to get out of his way, was lucky not to have caused catastrophic consequences, a court has heard.

James Miller, 78, has been hit with a lifetime ban following the incident in April.

As his car headed south on the northbound carriageway of the M77 after travelling down the wrong on-ramp, one driver had to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision and another female driver lost control as her car fishtailed then careered off the carriageway, landing on the other side of the barrier.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard how despite the mayhem caused, Miller, who was more than double the legal drink-drive limit, continued on his way, until he stopped on the hard shoulder close to junction 4 at Newton Mearns.

No one was injured.

Depute-fiscal Rebecca Hoskins said that the car which crashed over the barrier sustained major damage but the driver escaped unhurt.

When Miller was eventually traced and breath-tested, the results showed a reading of 82 microgrammes of alcohol. The legal limit is 35.

The court was told that Miller had driven from Ayr to have lunch with his brother at a bowling club in Thornliebank, on the south side of Glasgow and was unsure how much alcohol he had consumed.

He felt that he was fit to drive but got confused as he searched for the motorway and headed on to the carriageway down the off-ramp.

Inquiries with his GP confirmed he was not suffering from any ageing difficulties but the death of his wife 18 months ago, after 52 years of marriage, had impacted on him very hard.

Miller admitted driving while over the legal alcohol limit and driving dangerously on April 19.

His lawyer said that there had been no-one injured due mainly to the fast reaction of the other drivers and because his client had been travelling at a reasonably slow speed.

"He intends never to drive again," said the lawyer. "This has been a wholly unpleasant experience and has served as a considerable wake-up call."

Sheriff Richard Clark told Miller: "I trust that you appreciate the seriousness of the potential consequences of your actions, which are unimaginable. It is extremely fortunate that no-one was injured as this could have been catastrophic."

Imposing a life ban, the Sheriff added: "What is important here is that you do not drive a car again."

Miller, of Braehead Crescent, Ayr, was fined £1560 after reductions due to the fact that he had pleaded guilty at an early stage.