The alarm was raised by worried fellow motorists at around 3am on Sunday, who, after spotting the man driving in the wrong direction on the Algarve’s only motorway, called the 112 European emergency number.


According to newspaper Correio da Manhã, the 53-year-old offender was sighted travelling westbound on the Portimão – Faro lane, between Loulé and Albufeira, and was eventually detained by police around 30km later, near Lagoa.


Despite having travelled a considerable distance head-on into traffic on a main motorway, incredibly, no accidents were recorded.
After being stopped by the GNR, the driver underwent an alcohol test, being accused of a criminally-punishable rate of 1.80 grams of alcohol per litre of blood.


The driver requested a second test and was taken to the hospital for blood tests.


The man, for having made the request, was not immediately arrested but only formally identified.


The situation was reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office by the Faro GNR pending the results of the blood tests.