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Police worker's phone shame

Apr 14 2007

Cathy Owen, South Wales Echo




This is the picture that has left a police force that prides itself on its tough stance against drivers using hand-held mobile phones red-faced.



A senior Gwent Police officer today admitted that the snap, showing a police driver on the phone, is 'an embarrassment to the force'.

'There is no justification that I can give that would excuse this behaviour. We will investigate the matter fully,' said Superintendent Nigel Russell.

The picture, taken at 12.20pm on Thursday by the young daughter of an Echo reader on the A48 (M) near St Mellons, Cardiff, shows a Gwent Police employee, believed to be a civilian, chatting on the phone in his right hand, while he steers the car with his left hand.

It comes just weeks after Gwent Police, the lead force in the campaign, caught 263 motorists using hand-held mobile phones during a two-week crackdown aimed at enforcing new regulations which can leave drivers with three points on their licence and a £60 fine.

At the time, Gwent's Chief Inspector John Pavett said: 'We treat the problem seriously and target vehicles 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.'

The 44-year-old taxi driver from Ely, Cardiff, who spotted what was going on while he overtook the Ford Focus, was so furious he asked his 11-year-old daughter, who was sat next to him in the front passenger seat, to grab his camera and take a picture.

'The police are always taking photos of drivers, so I thought it was time to turn the tables,' said the man, who did not want to be named.

'Luckily, my camera was in the car as I had just used it to take a picture of a spot where I had recently been involved in an accident.

'Seeing this made me really angry because he was travelling at around 70mph. These people should be setting an example.'

The taxi driver, who said his last brush with the law was in 2000 when he was caught by a speed camera, added: 'The police are always targeting drivers and fining people for this and that, so I really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this.'

Supt Russell said: 'We would like to thank the conscientious member of the public and the Echo for bringing this to our attention.

'We accept the person driving the vehicle is a member of Gwent Police staff and we will investigate the matter fully.

'It is disappointing that one of our staff has decided to use his phone while driving, as clearly we have recently run a campaign highlighting the risks associated with this activity. It is an embarrassment to the force.'

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed group that campaigns against current transport policy, including the use of speed cameras, said: 'This proves the mobile phone ban is just another law that even the police can't stick to.'

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Bloody brilliant!

I'm surprised every vulnerable road user in a 30 mile radius didn't drop dead due to him not only using his phone, but doing so at 70mph whilst steering with one hand!

Needs to be fired

Chances of this happening? <0

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Actually there is pretty well a prima facae case of speeding against the Taxi driver.

The Taxi Driver whose daughter took the photograph "whilst he over took the police vehicle" said "Especially as he was doing 70 mph"

People really should think before they speak to the press

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Former Military Police Officer and accident investigator

But, it would seem, no valid evidence.

However, you should certainly engage brain before opening mouth.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

I doubt it! You have to take into account speedo error and the approximation that "around" implies. There's diddly-squat against the taxi driver, but the evidence of scammer hypocrisy is pretty damning.

BTW, I was out today in the van. NSL dual carriageway doing 60 mph on my speedo (58 mph on the GPS) when a Devon & Cornwall pratnership talivan passed me with a speed differential of about 20 mph.

Is it any wonder the public have no respect for the pratnerships?

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Will

We should report every instance of that sort of thing in writing o the CC and copy the local rag!