A police campaign nabbed 80 drivers using their mobile phones behind the wheel in just one week.

Between last Monday and Sunday (November 20), Essex Police clamped down on the offence as part of the campaign led by the National Police Chief’s Council.

It followed an announcement earlier this month that drivers caught using phoned will no longer be offered educational courses instead of penalty points.

People committing the offence for the first time face three automatic points on their licence and a £100 fine, where previously there was an option to take a course instead of receiving the points.

The punishment will double to six points and a £200 fine in 2017.

The change in the law followed follows the imprisonment of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker, who caused the deaths of a mother and three children in a crash on the A34 in Berkshire.

Kroker was jailed for 10 years after video footage showed him scrolling through music on his phone as he ploughed into the family’s stationary car in August.

Essex Police casualty reduction manager Adam Pipe said: “It’s disappointing to see that a number of drivers are still refusing to take notice of the law.

“Using any mobile phone when driving is dangerous.

“Mobile phones, hand held or otherwise, divert your attention away from the road and mean drivers are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards on the roads.

“Hazards on the roads can emerge very quickly and just a split-second lapse in concentration can result in a crash, serious injury or worse.”

It is illegal to use a handheld mobile device when driving whether you are moving, stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic, he added.

The offence includes making and receiving calls, reading texts, checking social media or programming any kind of sat nav application.