A DRIVER caught using his phone at the wheel told police he had 'just been bitten on the ear'.

Dorset Police's No Excuse team, which cracks down on bad and careless driving, carried out patrols in Sherborne and Dorchester last week.

Posting about their latest patrol on social media, the said: "[A] driver was blatantly on their phone, he denied the offence saying he had just been bitten on the ear and invited us to check...

"A vehicle was seized for no insurance, along with a fine of £300 and six points. [The driver] will have to pay a release fee of at least £150 to get it back."

The No Excuse road safety campaign was launched in January 2010 in an attempt to reduce the numbers killed and seriously injured on roads throughout the county.

In October 2014 a new dedicated team took over the running of No Excuse enforcement, aiming to stop dangerous driving by tackling the ‘fatal five’ – speeding, failure to wear seatbelts, driving using a phone, drink/drug driving, and careless or inconsiderate driving.

The No Excuse team works with Alliance Roads Policing and partners to combat the fatal five behaviours.