A drink-driver who prompted emergency calls from worried motorists on the M25 also caused a collision near Haslemere and nearly crashed in the Hindhead Tunnel.

Staines Magistrates Court heard on Monday that Humphrey Chiwandamira drunk half a bottle of vodka just hours before his BMW swerved across the motorway near Byfleet on April 13 last year.

The same vehicle later collided with a row of parked cars in Camelsdale with police finding the driver “unsteady on feet” before making a home arrest.

The 33-year-old of Tarn Close, Farnborough, was given a 30 month ban after admitting to driving with excess alcohol and without due care and attention.

Richard Sampson, prosecuting, said police received a call about a vehicle swerving and drifting onto the hard shoulder between junctions 10 and 11 around 7.35am.

An off-duty officer later saw the same vehicle “driving erratically” on the A3 with the BMW brushing the offside curb in the Hindhead Tunnel before colliding with parked cars on New Road in Camelsdale.

Chiwandamira escaped arrest after the M25 incident as he slept in his car while officers visited. The defendant drank some more after returning with police making an arrest on the second visit.

He was still three-and-a-half times over the 80/100 legal limit nine hours after the M25 incident, giving a reading of 289 milligrams of alcohol in 100 mls of blood.

Umar Khan, for Chiwandamira, said the defendant had offered his uncle a lift after drinking the night before, claiming the swerving was because he panicked after missing his junction.

She added: “Sometime afterwards he stopped and had a sleep as he’s realised he isn’t seeing clearly.

“He wakes up, decides to drive home and that’s when the accident happened.”

Chiwandamira must also complete 210 hours of unpaid work and pay costs and charges totalling £314.