A third of drivers did know the penalty for using a mobile phone when driving was an automatic six points on their licence, according to a poll by Cambridgeshire Police.

More than 500 took part in their online survey and “30 per cent of you thought the answer was three points,” police reported. “It is in fact six points and also if you are caught and you passed your test in the last two years, you will be automatically disqualified.”

Figures, for 2019, show that more than 1,100 people across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire were caught using their mobile phones while driving.

Police say 80 per cent of offenders were men, and over half (59 per cent) were aged between 20 and 39.

"Using a handheld device while driving means taking your concentration and your eyes off the road. It's incredibly dangerous and puts you and other road users at significant risk,” said a police spokesman.

In recent weeks police continued their purge on those using mobile phones whilst driving.

“During a national road safety campaign, we've caught many drivers on their phones -one was reading the news,” said a police spokesperson.

That hapless driver was behind the wheels of a silver Golf “and was driving at 40mph in a national speed limit zone, while watching the news on his phone!”.