IT TOOK barely five minutes for Dorset Police to issue the first fixed penalty notice of its week-long crackdown on using mobile phones behind the wheel.

After just six hours the number of drivers caught for phone offences had risen to 42, a number Sergeant Joe Pardy described as “very disappointing” from a road safety point of view.

Among the motorists cautioned at the roadside yesterday was a mother with her two-year-old child in the back, and a woman who was spotted by officers texting away in traffic with her 10-year-old son in the passenger seat.

The operation, which coincided with the introduction of tough new penalties for drivers using mobile phones, is set to continue next week at a number of undisclosed locations across the county.

Sgt Pardey, from the Alliance Roads Policing department, said: “In the end we had a wide range of people - males, females, young and old, a real mixture.

“There was also one new driver, so that person will be subject to having their licence revoked.

“She was disappointed with herself and even commented that her dad had mentioned the change in legislation earlier that morning.

“One person has already got six points, so they’ll be going to court to possibly lose their licence -this shows the increased penalties can have a huge affect.

“Forty two drivers is very disappointing.

“Using a mobile phone at the wheel can have devastating consequences.”

During yesterday’s police crackdown, which the Echo attended, drivers were stopped on one of the borough’s busiest roads.

Motorist Scott, who was issued a fixed penalty notice under the new regulations, said: “I’d plugged my phone into my aux input to play my playlist, then he (police officer) pulled up to the right of me.”

The 26-year-old added: “I feel a little annoyed, but I guess it’s just bad luck, bad timing.

“I think £200 and six points is a bit steep, though, it’s going to hit my insurance hard.”

Safety campaigners have been calling for tougher penalties for some time, and a recent spate of fatal accidents has piled pressure on lawmakers.

Last year truck driver Tomasz Kroker killed a young mother and her three young children after ploughing into their stationary car at 50mph on the A34 near Newbury. The HGV’s dashcam footage showed the trucker, who was later sentenced to 10 years, using his phone less than a second before the horrific impact.

Other drivers caught during Wednesday’s Dorset Police initiative, although upset, remained sympathetic to what officers were trying to achieve. One told the Echo: “I’m on the road every day, so I understand what goes on. OK, I’ve made a silly mistake here, but I do understand the need for this sort of action.”

Drivers caught using a mobile will now receive six points on their licence and a minimum £200 fine. Dorset motorists will also no longer be eligible for a drivers awareness course. And any drivers with less than two years’ experience caught using their phone at the wheel will have their licence revoked by the DVLA and will have to retake their test.

Until these regulation changes came into force the penalty was three points and a minimum £100 fine.

Sgt Pardy said: “As an officer who deals with the often tragic aftermath when a driver is distracted at the wheel, I would like to make a personal plea to the driving public to think about their actions.

“You may think liking your friends’ Instagram post or Snapchatting your drive home is the most important thing at the time, but your priorities can change in a second.”

A recent RAC study revealed 31 per cent of drivers now admit to using a mobile phone when driving, a rise of eight per cent compared to 2014.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said: “A licence to drive can be lethal in the wrong hands. Police officers cannot be everywhere and the responsibility to drive safely should not be dependent on the risk of being caught.

“All motorists have a fundamental responsibility to behave with due care and attention, drive safely and ensure they do not put themselves in danger.”