A WEEK of action by police total saw 77 drivers stopped across Lancashire for using mobile phones behind the wheel.

The crackdown came after new legislation was introduced means motorists using the devices while driving face tougher penalties of six points on their licence and a £200 fine.

During the operation, from March 1 to 7, officers targeted major trunk roads and areas where concerns had previously been raised.

Marked and un-marked police vehicles were deployed, checkpoints were implemented across the county and officers responded to complaints about persistent offenders.

Amongst those caught was a driver who stated he didn’t know how to work his built in hands free kit and a HGV driver caught texting.

A tradesman, already with eight points on his licence, now faces disqualification for exceeding the 12 point maximum.

As well as the 77 caught using their phones, a further 53 people were caught travelling without wearing a seatbelt including a driver with two young children.

Another 52 vehicles were seized for a range of reasons including no insurance or no driving licence while more than 200 speeding offences were detected.

Chief Inspector Damian Kitchen said: “The detection of not only so many phone offences, but other offences such as seatbelts and speed offences shows that we still have work to do.

“This is not about fines and points, it’s about stopping people getting injured on our roads.”

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “These figures show that there are still too many people on Lancashire’s roads willing to put themselves and others at risk by using a device at the wheel.

“However, they also show that the police are taking action and using the tougher powers they have available to them.”

The crackdown will continue throughout the year.

Research shows that when talking on a mobile phone, a driver is four times more likely to crash, because of the distraction.