Drivers heed mobile phone warning

Sussex Police issued 111 fixed penalty notices in the first week

No motorists were fined in East Sussex on the day that tougher penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving came into force.

But 111 fixed penalty notices were issued across the whole of Sussex in the first week after the rules changed.

Supt Paul Morrison said drivers had taken notice of the campaign alerting them to a maximum fine of £60 and three points on offenders' licences.

But he said a minority still insisted on flouting the law.

This was not a 'one-off' operation Supt Paul Morrison

He said those people were "putting the lives of others who use the road at risk".

And he added that drivers using hand-held phones would continue to be targeted by officers.

"This was not a 'one-off' operation," he said.

Cases that reach court can lead to discretionary disqualification and a maximum fine of £1,000 or £2,500 in the case of a driver of a bus, coach, or goods vehicle.

Motorists can also be prosecuted for using a hands-free phone if they are not in control of their vehicle.