A TAXI driver showed “sheer stupidity” when he reversed up a dual carriageway slip road.

The yellow United Taxi was heading down from the Rich-mond Hill Roundabout towards the A338 Spur Road when the driver saw the queues caused by yesterday morning’s crash.

Instead of joining the northbound carriageway he decided to reverse back on to the roundabout to turn around as drivers honked their horns and swerved to avoid a crash.

The driver said he decided to reverse as he needed to use the toilet and his bosses are “reviewing” what happened.

One pedestrian, who asked not to be named, said he heard cars beeping as he approached along Wimborne Road.

He said: “When I got to the corner I saw the taxi reversing up the slip road. He’d obviously been caught unawares and decided he did not like the traffic.

“But that corner is completely blind so cars had to swerve around him. It was outrageous.”

There was a passenger in the back of the taxi.

Ashley Miller, chairman of the Bournemouth Station Taxi Association, described the manoeuvre as “sheer stupidity”.

“It was dangerous as he’s put other road users at risk,” he said.

“Not all taxi drivers would be prepared to risk their lives and other people’s and I certainly wouldn’t want to do that.

“The guy has made a commitment to go on to that road and if there was someone coming along on a motorbike they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

United Taxis spokesman Derek Heritage said the driver was taking a fare to JP Morgan and realised he would not have made it to a toilet if he had got caught in the traffic.

He said: “He acted the best way that he felt in that situation to get his customer to his destination and avoid a medical situation with regards to himself.

“He’s been with us a long time and never been in any trouble.”

A Dorset police spokesman urged drivers to be aware of other road users, adding: “Dor-set Police advise motorists to adhere to the rules of the road, pay attention to road signs an