At least one person a day is being caught using their mobile phone behind the wheel, according to Home Office figures.

Lincolnshire Police fined 424 people using a hand-held phone while driving in 2017.

Only 12 of the fines were cancelled, the rest were either paid or were subject to court action.

The force has been trying to clamp down on the offence in recent months - and there has been discussion among forces nationally about a new piece of equipment that would let them see what drivers are doing from up to 1km away.

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Have you ever used your mobile phone while driving? (Be honest!)

In Lincolnshire, a fatal four squad was launched in May by the county's police force to tackle some of the faults that have been identified as being leading causes of collisions on the roads – including people using their phone while driving.

It involves a team of officers operating in unmarked vehicles to target any drivers who commit Fatal Four offences which as well as the use of a mobile includes drink/drug driving, mobile, excess speed, and not wearing a seatbelt.

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So what does the law say?

If caught, a driver can get six penalty points and a £200 fine if caught speaking
on the phone while driving.

They can also be taken to court, where they can be banned from driving
or get a fine of up to £1,000.

Drivers who have passed their test in the last two years and get six
points have to retake both their practical and theory exams.

It is legal to use a mobile phone behind the wheel with a hands-free
kit - such as a Bluetooth headset.

Drivers can also use a hand-held phone while safely parked, or if they need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it is unsafe or impractical to stop.

The overall picture

Across England and Wales, there were 56,549 fines issued for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving last year.

This is down from 86,853, and the lowest number recorded since 2011.