Police mock texting driver's 'laughing emoji' excuse

A driver who was stopped for texting behind the wheel claimed he was only sending "a laughing emoji" to his girlfriend.

The man was stopped by officers in St Helens, Merseyside for using a phone while driving, and for not wearing a seatbelt.

In his defence, the driver wrote: "I was just putting a laughing emoji to my girlfriend" - a response officers branded a "very unusual reply".

It prompted police to response with emojis of their own, detailing the incident and the driver's punishment through a series of icons:

The driver can expect six penalty points on his licence, while a pound notes emoji signifies a fine.