A journalist has been fined for using a mobile phone in her car – while driving to cover the launch of a police crackdown on the offence.
The unnamed reporter was handed a £200 bill and six points on her licence while travelling to the Thames Valley Police press event today.
New penalties which came into effect today will also see newly-qualified drivers having their licence revoked for using a mobile at the wheel, while those caught using one twice will face disqualification and fines of up to £1,000.
ITN reporter Dominic Reynolds, who was also covering the TVP event, posted on Twitter: “Breaking Irony News: a journalist driving here to cover phone/driving crackdown has just been busted: £200, 6pts.”
ITN journalist Dominc Reynolds reported on the event
Dominic’s tweet prompted instant responses on the social networking website from current and former regional press figures.
Ex-Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill, who now edits Hampshire Life magazine, told KM Group editorial director Ian Carter: “Whoever it is has a very nice car, so unlikely to be a regional journo. They mainly drive Trabants.”
Freelance journalist Steve Cottrell witnessed the incident.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “The police were pulling people off the A415 Ock Street using plain-clothed Police spotters to indicate to uniformed officers further down the road (where we were).
“The specific offence being targeted was mobile phone use while driving. There were plenty caught, and as the photographers and cameramen (me, BBC Oxford and Channel 5 News) filmed them, various reporters asked for comments from the drivers, and variously some responded, most didn’t.
“At one point I overheard a policeman saying that the lady he had just ‘done’ was a member of the press on her way to this very event. I certainly didn’t recognise her, neither did my colleagues.”
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Difficult to believe such selfish stupidity. If it was dire emergency she should have pulled over.
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Simon O’Neill is spot on. When I was a regional reporter I drove a Yugo.
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And yet nobody died.
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Mine was a Moskvich, with the most severe servo brakes you could ever imagine ( and then some!).
I lent it to a friend once and he nearly went through the windscreen at the first junction.
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Doesn’t sit right with me journos reporting on each other, never used to be that way. She got punished, should be the end of it.
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Twitter as ended the journalist quips between each other for sure and I guess this amused Thames Valley Police who like me chuckle at journalist whose shining morals glisten when reporting stories but are not quite so solid when it catches them in their daily lives. Refreshing wake up I say and yes no one dead – this time!.
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The appalling attitude among users that no-one died so its OK just will not wash.
Especially with the relatives and friends of people who have died. One death is too many when it can be so easily avoided. But we live in selfish times. I can do, so I will do.
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It’s a wonder the police allow cars to have engines.
Be much safer if we all pedalled around like the Flintstones.
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Remember years & years ago photographers all got brand new Renaults at WT.
Sold my car and paid off the mortgage..
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Oh dear, oh dear. What a complete numpty. But it’s a really brilliant story, isn’t it?!
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@Paperboy Appalling attitude? Nah, it’s the black sense of humour developed over the years to cope with the big bad nasty world. You’re born, you die. Get over it. Live with it. Die with it, even.
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