A flummoxed Frenchmen took a wrong turn and ended up pedalling his rickshaw down a busy dual carriageway.

The cyclist had been trying to make his way back home to Paris via Newhaven but was spotted by drivers riding his three wheeled trike down the A27 in the pouring rain yesterday afternoon.

The straw-hat clad cyclist had managed to get himself lost and somehow joined the major route at Lewes.

Officers from Sussex Police were called to the scene to offer the confused man a helping hand after they were called at 1.45pm.

Lewes Police tweeted: “PC Goudie is currently rescuing a French man on a rickshaw, who took a wrong turn down the A27 at Lewes.”

The man was found by police pedalling his rickshaw on the eastbound Lewes bypass just east of the Kingston roundabout.

Officers told the man the stretch of road was dangerous and escorted him to the other end of the by-pass where he was able to get onto the safe cycle path and carry on his way.

The grateful Frenchman then continued on his way on the route, making for the Newhaven ferry.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “At 1.45pm a motorist told us that a man had been seen on the eastbound Lewes bypass, just east of the Kingston roundabout, pedalling a three-wheel trike.

“Local officers quickly found the man, who was a French national seeking to return home via Newhaven.

“They advised him that it was dangerous to be on that stretch of road, especially during heavy rain, and escorted him safely to the other end of the bypass where he was able to take a safe cycle path connecting with the A26 to Newhaven.”

A spokesman for Sussex Police confirmed it is not illegal to cycle down a dual carriageway but it is ill advised and “very dangerous” - especially in wet conditions.