Elderly couple disqualified after one used their CAR to push the other's broken Peugeot at 20mph along the A45 in Northampton

Two pensioners have been disqualified from driving after one used their car to push the other's Peugeot along the A45 for over two miles at 20mph.

Stewart Astell, 70, and Susan Beldham, 74 - both from Hawkswood, Olney - devised the makeshift plan to push Astell's car to the garage after his clutch broke on September 10, 2019.

But the idea put countless motorists driving on the A45 at 1pm that afternoon in danger as they were forced to react to the two haphazard drivers rolling along the motorway.

Northampton Magistrate's Court heard yesterday (September 29) how the incident began when a member of the East Midlands Ambulance Service pulled over to help a stalled car.

The malfunctioning Peugeot - driven by Astell - was helped along by the ambulance driver and other motorists who wanted to help the pensioner out the way of traffic.

But they instead watched as the Peugeot began to roll down the slip road onto the A45.

It was at that point the ambulance driver watched another car - a SEAT Leon, driven by Beldham - drove up to the Peugeot and began to push it from behind.

In a bid to minimise risk to the public, the paramedic activated their blue lights and drove behind the two tandem cars - and watched as they drove for over two miles along the A45 in lane one.

In the heavy midday traffic involving HGVs and countless other motorists, the two cars pedaled along at approximately 20mph while other drivers havd to make sudden lane switches to avoid an accident.

The incident ended when Astell and Beldham curved off at the Barnes Meadow Interchange and steered down Bedford Road, at which point a police squad car saw what was happening and ordered them to stop.

They were both subsequently charged with and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

Northampton Magistrate's Court heard how the incident happened because the clutch had broken on Astell's Peugeot and he couldn't get in gear to drive.

The court heard that Astell now agrees he "maybe should have had it towed".

Prosecutor Stella Moses told the court that although it was accepted there was no "malicious intent" in the offence, their actions put many other motorists in danger.

Astell and Beldham - a couple - were both disqualified for 12 months and each ordered to pay £370 in fines and costs. They will both need to carry out an extended retest.