A motorist has been left red faced after driving past police officers while on his phone.

The driver of the van was stopped near Canterbury after failing to notice the marked car travelling in the opposite direction.

When the officers drove past on the A28 in Wincheap, they had time to turn their vehicle around, turn on their lights and pull up next to him before he finally put the device down.

Kent Police's Road Safety Unit tweeted a picture of the vehicle this afternoon and issued the driver with a traffic offence report.

“Whilst out in one of our marked XC90s, drove towards this van with the driver on the phone,” the officer said.

“Only noticed our large marked vehicle once we were able to turn, put the lights on and pull up next to him...... whilst still using his phone.”

The driver, a man his 40s from the Canterbury area, was reported for summons to court.

This is far from the first time that a driver has been caught out using a mobile behind the wheel on the county’s roads.

In January, a hearse driver was talking on a mobile while at the wheel, and just one week earlier another driver caught chatting on her mobile while behind the wheel asked officers: "So I can't use my phone even if it's on speaker?"

Officers pulled over a black Ford Focus in Princes Road at around 11am on January 8 after spotting the driver holding the device up to her face and talking on a call.

She said she couldn't use the phone holder as it kept falling off and "wouldn't stick".

According to gov.uk, it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving.

The standard penalty for being caught is six penalty points and a fine of up to £200.

There are some exceptions, including calling 999 for an emergency or if you are safely parked.

You are also allowed to make a contactless payment in a vehicle that is not moving, for example at a drive-thru restaurant

You can use devices with hands-free access, as long as you do not hold them at any time during usage