Police have pulled a Transit van driver over for being on the phone at the wheel after they were so distracted that they did not notice officers watching from a marked police car. 

The Wiltshire Specialist Operations team posted the alleged offence on social media, saying the Transit driver was so distracted by their phone that they did not realise the police car was next to them in lane two on the M4.

Their post read: “For those saying mobile phones aren’t distracting when driving, it comes to something when you don’t see the marked car come up in lane 2 whilst the Transit driver is busy on the phone…paperwork issued.”

Being caught using a phone when driving carries a £200 fine and six penalty points.

Wiltshire Police's Roads Policing Unit and Armed Response Groups are covered on the Wiltshire Specialist Ops Twitter/X page, which provides regular updates on what they are up to. 

From September 3, smart cameras were rolled out across Wiltshire which use AI technology to catch drivers who are on their phones or aren’t wearing a seatbelt as part of a national trial to make roads safer.