Thames Valley Police road safety crackdown on mobiles

Police are cracking down on motorists who use hand-held mobile phones while driving in the Thames Valley area.

Driving with a mobile is as dangerous as drink-driving, Thames Valley Police said. More than 7,000 offenders caught in the area in the last year.

The campaign runs from Monday to Sunday. Any driver caught using a mobile faces a £60 fine and three penalty points on their licence.

Some drivers will be offered the chance to attend an education course instead.

Using a mobile phone includes speaking, listening to messages or music, texting, emailing, checking a phone number, dialling, and looking at pictures, a force spokesman said.