Thames Valley Police carry out mobile phone operation from Stagecoach bus in Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire

Police stationed in a bus stopped over 30 drivers for using mobile phones in a recent operation carried out in Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.

From the bus, which was donated by Stagecoach, officers were able to observe motorists using their phones and radio their colleagues to pull over the offenders.

The operation was a joint effort between Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary’s Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit and took place between Tuesday and Thursday this week.

Sergeant Dave Hazlett, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit said: “This operation has shown that whilst the majority of motorists are being safe, a small minority are still choosing to use their mobile phones when driving.

“Research has shown that you are four times more likely to be involved in a collision and be less likely to notice and react to hazards in time by the distraction that mobile devices cause.

“Thank you to our partners Stagecoach and National Highways for their support in helping us to carry out this operation.”

On Tuesday officers were stationed on the A40 and A34 around Oxford where they stopped 10 drivers for using mobile phones and four for not being in proper control of their vehicle.

On Wednesday and Thursday officers covered the A34 in Hampshire and Berkshire, the A303, M27, M3 and A31.

In that time they stopped 24 drivers for using their mobile phone, nine for travelling with insecure loads and five for not being in proper control of their vehicle.