Concerned drivers called police after seeing a man walking down the A120.

The reveller was picked up for his own protection in the early hours of Saturday, during what was a busy pre-Christmas weekend for emergency services.

A police spokesman said: “We had one or two assaults to deal with and a foolish man walking down the A120 at 4.30am on Saturday.

“He had been arrested earlier on for drink-driving and had gone to the hospital for treatment, and then decided to walk down the A120 so we had calls from concerned drivers.

“We picked him up and gave him a strong warning.”

The spokesman added that cells at Clacton police station had been full all weekend, and said the town’s police had been very busy.

“We had a number of domestic incidents going on and the town was full of revellers on Friday and Saturday evenings,” he said.

In Colchester, police have warned revellers that getting into drunken fights could land them with the bill for a taxi back from Stansted Airport or Basildon, as cells in the town are regularly full up at this time of year.

Extra patrols are being carried out to combat fights and disorder as workers finish for Christmas.

Pubs are being urged not to serve anyone who has drunk too much and to call the SOS bus for help.

Insp Paul Butcher said: “We want everybody to have a great time at Christmas and New Year, to go out and enjoy themselves and have fun, but we also want them to watch their drink and be aware of the impact their behaviour can have on others."

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