Driver fined for eating sandwich

Keith Pemberton was finishing the sandwich when he was stopped

A motorist has been given three penalty points by police for driving while eating a sandwich.

Keith Pemberton, 29, was finishing a cheese and pickle sandwich as he drove away from a supermarket in Warrington.

The salesman from Salford was stopped by officers carrying out spot checks and was deemed not to be in proper control of his car.

Mr Pemberton, who was also fined £60, said: "Three points is a very harsh punishment for eating a sandwich."

He was spotted by Cheshire Police officers at a roadside checkpoint on the A49.

He cannot have had full control of his vehicle if he was eating a sandwich at the same time Cheshire Police

Mr Pemberton said: "I was totally shocked when the police pulled me over.

"They said I had not been in proper control of my car, but it's not as if I was swerving all over the road or driving badly."

He said rules about not eating while driving should be better publicised.

He said: "I'd never heard of this law before.

"An officer at my local station thought it was too severe - he said he'd never have given me a ticket for eating a sandwich."

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said the law had "been in place for some time" and was not directly linked to the clampdown on driving while using a mobile phone.

He added: "The officer was right to give this driver a ticket.

"He cannot have had full control of his vehicle if he was eating a sandwich at the same time."