Footage of a car “middle-lane hogging” on a motorway has been released by Thames Valley Police’s road unit on social media, urging motorists to “move across” if the left lane is empty.

The police witnessed a vehicle driving in lane two of the M4 for over a mile, with lane 1 totally clear for the entire time. The footage from New Year’s Eve was captured on the M4 between junctions 12 and 13, near Newbury in Berkshire. A ticket was issued for careless driving, much to the delight of a social media audience and various frustrated motorists.

Ill-discipline in the middle lane has only been targeted by authorities in recent years. A motorist became the first person convicted for the practice in 2015 after persistently refusing to move into the slow lane on the busy M62. He was fined almost £1000 and handed five penalty points.