A German lorry driver who smashed into stationary traffic on the M25 killing an elderly man and leaving two other people seriously injured has been sentenced to four and a half years.

Anton Maizen, 58, from Wixhausen, had been working for 23 hours and had driven for 15 of those without a proper break when he ploughed into the queuing traffic on the clockwise slip-road of Junction 30 at Aveley in Essex.

He crashed into the back of Carol Bolton's Mercedes A Class causing a knock-on impact that resulted in a BMW being propelled into fast moving traffic in the next lane and into the path of an articulated lorry.

It was that lorry which careered into Ronald Moughton's Renault Clio, killing the 79-year-old from Ilford in Essex.

His son, Keith, 58, survived but with serious injuries. Carol Bolton, 47, was also badly hurt.

Maizen pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court.

The driver was unable to explain to police why he had hurtled into the traffic at 12.30pm on April 2 this year.

But he had hidden tachograph charts detailing his 840-mile journey from Frankfurt Airport - via south London and Lincolnshire - in his sock and behind his seat.

Four lorries and six cars were involved in the crash.

Unbelievably, a mother and her seven-year-old son walked from the crumpled wreckage of their BMW.

Police are still investigating whether European driver hours regulations may have been contravened by the owners of Maizen's lorry.