He may be 90 years old, but Stanley Murphy still knows how to live life in the fast lane.

Stunned drivers called police after spotting the pensioner chugging along the A27 in his 8mph mobility scooter.

He was overtaken by cars and lorries doing up to 70mph.

The pensioner took a wrong turn after popping out to buy a newspaper from his home in Mill Lane, Shoreham.

He came off at the Holmbush roundabout and ended up travelling westbound along the A27 towards the Shoreham flyover.

He was spotted by paving company owner James Dunne who pulled his truck over and put on its flashing lights in a bid to stop the pensioner.

Mr Dunne, 46, from Worthing, alerted police and tried to flag down the lost scooter driver.

He said: “The old chap looked pretty confused and scared and looked like he was not going to stop.

“He started to try to overtake me but I got him to pull in. The police arrived a few minutes later.

“He did not say very much and looked pretty shell-shocked.

“He did not tell me his name but said he was trying to get back to Mill Hill where he lives with his daughter.”

Police officers put Mr Murphy in their car and gave him a lift back home.

Mr Dunne put the pensioner's Atlas mobilty scooter onto the back of his truck and drove it back for him.

The incident happened at about 12.45pm today.

Safely back home, Mr Murphy said: “I went out to get a paper and took a wrong turning.

“I don't know how I ended up on the A27 but I am thankful to everyone who helped me.”

It is believed Mr Murphy travelled along Mill Lane, along the Old Shoreham Road towards the Holmbush roundabout when he took the wrong turn onto the A27.

Mr Murphy was given a lift home by PC Jim Lockwood.

He said: “I would like to thank the members of the public who stopped to help.

“I would also like to thank the driver who put his flashing lights on to prevent the incident worsening and who helped deliver the old gent's scooter to his home address.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “An electric mobility scooter is a mechanically propelled vehicle.

“As such it would need to have a number plate and tax disc before it could be legally driven on a main road like the A27.

“However, this gentleman was obviously confused and in the circumstances it is unlikely that we would take any further action.”

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: “We are very pleased to hear that there was not an accident and the gentleman got home safely.

“We don't know what caused him to take a wrong turn but a slow-moving mobility scooter is obviously not suitable to be on a very busy three-lane A-road.

“The Highway Code contains an extensive section of advice for mobility scooter users and we would urge anyone who owns one to read it carefully.”