PSNI fine van driver on M1 who was 'holding a mobile phone in his hand with a video playing'

PSNI officers stopped a man on the M1 this morning who they say had a video playing on his phone while driving.

Officers from the Mahon Road station in Portadown had been patrolling the motorway when they saw a van veering towards the hard shoulder.

A social media post from the PSNI said the driver was holding the phone in their hand while a video was playing.

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The force says the driver was issued with a £205 fixed penalty notice and handed six points on his licence.

"While patrolling the M1 this morning, officers from Mahon Road station observed this van veering towards the hard shoulder as we approached it," the post on NI Road Policing and Safety said.

"The reason why became obvious when we were alongside it. The driver was holding a mobile phone in his hand with a video playing on it while he was driving.

"Despite his claims that we're just "tax collectors for the state", he was issued with a penalty notice for £205 and has received 6 penalty points on his licence.

The post concluded: "A useful tip to avoid paying this "tax", and to make everyone's journey safer, is to leave the phone alone while driving."

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