Police out in force to catch drivers flouting the law

Police across the region are out in force today, to catch drivers who are using their mobile phone at the wheel.

From today, the penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving have doubled, with drivers facing a £200 fine and 6 penalty points on their licence.

If caught for a second time they will automatically be required to appear in court to receive a fine of up to £1,000 and a driving ban of up to six months.

New drivers - those in their first two years of driving - will automatically lose their licence and have to re-sit their test.

Today's police action is the first day of a national week of operations to catch motorists who continue flout the law and risk lives by using their phones at the wheel.