POLICE will crack down on drivers who use their mobile phones at the wheel next week.

Officers will be on the look out for those who still continue to flout the law despite tougher penalties being introduced earlier this year.

The crackdown in Worcestershire is part of a wider mobile phone enforcement and education campaign running nationally from Monday, July 10 to Sunday, July 16.

Police want to ensure drivers understand that those caught using a hand-held phone while driving now risk a £200 fine and six points.

Newly qualified drivers could lose their licence if caught within two years of passing their test.

Chief Superintendent Stephen Cullen, for West Mercia Police, said: “Improving the safety of our roads is a year-round commitment for our officers.

"Although mobile phone enforcement is already part of our daily operational activity, we will be stepping up our efforts over this week to crack down on motorists who are blatantly ignoring both the law and the dangers involved in order to raise awareness of the change in legislation”.

“Many motorists are already aware that using a mobile phone while driving is illegal.

"This includes using your phone to follow a map, read a text or check social media, and applies even if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.

"With smartphones becoming more and more embedded into our daily routines, we are all aware of how useful they can be.

"However, it is unacceptable to allow yourself to be distracted by them while driving, and officers will ensure any motorists doing so face the penalties involved.”

“We are urging people to think about the consequences of their actions and ask themselves how they would feel if they caused a collision and injured, or killed, somebody else simply for the sake of making a call, reading a text message or checking social media.”

The increased penalties were brought in earlier this year after an RAC report in 2016 suggested the number of motorists who illegally use mobile phones while at the wheel is rising.

Despite using a mobile phone at the wheel being illegal since December 2003, the report found 31 per cent of motorists said they used a handheld phone behind the wheel compared with eight per cent two years previously, in 2014.

Studies show that drivers using a mobile are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards.