Man snapped ‘using phone’ at wheel of Durham Police van on A19 as probe launched

A man was snapped using what appeared to be a phone at the wheel of a Durham Police van, sparking an investigation. 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.

The police worker allegedly on the phone on the A19 (Image: UGC) According to other motorists, the police van was travelling slowly on the inside lane with its indicator on. ADVERTISEMENT

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.