Durham Police worker ‘used mobile phone on A19 at Peterlee’
The photo was taken at about 1.30pm on Tuesday (July 1) near the Peterlee junction of the A19 in County Durham. The image, shared on social media by the passenger of another car, appears to show a man in the driver's seat of the police van pressing an item up to his ear as you would a phone, while his other hand is on the steering wheel. 
According to other motorists, the police van was travelling slowly on the inside lane with its indicator on. Durham Police confirmed the van was a force vehicle and an investigation has been launched by its professional standards department. It is understood the man behind the wheel was a civilian Durham Police staff member and not an officer.
It also comes as police forces, including Durham, take part in the national campaign 'Operation Spotlight' to target the four main causes of fatal and serious collisions, including mobile phone use at the wheel.[1] A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: "We are aware of a photograph showing the driver of a marked police vehicle using what appears to be a mobile phone. "The matter has been referred to our Professional Standards department, and an investigation is currently underway.
"Representatives of Durham Constabulary should rightly be held to a high standard of professional conduct, and where offences are identified, appropriate action will be taken." Last week a moving billboard was launched as part of the campaign, targeting the 'Fatal Four' causes of crashes - mobile phone use, failure to wear seatbelts, drink or drug driving and speeding. The sign, on the back of a Bowburn-based haulier Katem Logistics Ltd lorry, carries a 'Life is Precious' slogan.
The tagline was the brainchild of Mari Johnson whose mum Elaine Sullivan and David Daglish were killed in horror crash on the A1(M) in July 2021 when they were returning home to Seaham and their car was hit by a Scania lorry, driven by a man busy browsing a dating site.