Police have issued fines totaling almost £5,000 for traffic offences on major roads in Kent ahead of a national week of action against dangerous drivers.

An unmarked Highways England lorry was used during the five-day operation to help officers identify people using mobile phones or tablets and doing other dangerous activities behind the wheel.

More than 50 lorries, vans, and cars were stopped during the operation.

In addition to mobile phone use, which was the most common offence, officers also caught drivers texting, looking at paperwork, and in one case a woman who had a cigarette in one hand and her mobile phone in the other while she was in the slip road leaving the M20 at junction 9 (Ashford).

One of the most shocking incidents officers witnessed was a lorry driver who drove 500 yards on the slip road from the M20 to the Channel tunnel (junction 11a), and did not look up once from his phone screen.

Officers also dealt with four speeding cars including one travelling at 110mph, a lorry driver caught reversing on the hard shoulder near to junction 11 of the M20 and a prohibited vehicle in lane three of the carriageway.

Using the unmarked lorry cab allows officers to have a clear view down into other vehicles and means those committing the offences are not pre-warned about police enforcement.

Officers issued 28 Graduated fixed penalty notices and 21 traffic offence reports, each one being £100 each, with a total of £4,900 which goes to HM Treasury.

The drive to target irresponsible and dangerous drivers and improve road safety continues this week as police in Kent take part in a national mobile phone enforcement campaign.

It started today and runs until January 29 and will involve roads policing officers and local patrol officers from across Kent.

Where possible officers will use the opportunity to educate drivers about the risks of being distracted by mobile phones while in control of a vehicle.

There has been a rise nationally in the number of people making calls, texting and recording videos illegally when they should be paying attention to the road.

In response, the Government is introducing tougher new penalties which come into effect later this year which will result in drivers receiving six points on their license and a £200 fine.

Chief Inspector Tony Dyer, of the Roads Policing Unit at Kent Police, said: "With this targeted enforcement from last week and this week we’re hoping to raise awareness of the extremely irresponsible behaviour shown by some drivers who are putting their lives, and everybody else’s life at risk.

"The targeted operation might only run until Sunday but, as they patrol the roads of Kent, my officers will continue to look out and deal with irresponsible and dangerous drivers 365 days a year.

"The very simple and most important message for drivers to remember is: when at the wheel, your calls or texts can wait. Keep your eyes on the road."

Highways England press officer Andrew Broughton said: "Safety is our top priority and I am pleased that our HGV cab has been so useful in helping the police to identify unsafe behaviour on the motorways and major A roads.

"It provides an ideal viewing platform for police officers to identify dangerous behaviour that can be difficult to spot from standard police patrol vehicles – for example texting while driving."