A RANGE Rover motorist from West Pennard has received a six-month ban after he used his mobile phone while driving.

Paul Salisbury, of Breech Lane, committed the offence on the B3153 in Keinton Mandeville on August 13, 2021.

Salisbury, 63, was proved guilty under the single justice procedure by a magistrate in Bath on April 5, 2022.

The magistrate disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driving licence for six months on Monday, July 4.

Court documents state the ban was “obligatory due to repeat offending”.

Salisbury was fined £220 and ordered to pay £90 in court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

He has until August 8 to pay his £344 court bill.

Explaining the law, the Government's website says: “It’s illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.

“This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline.”

The only exceptions are when drivers are “safely parked”, to call 999 or 112 in an emergency when “it’s unsafe or impractical to stop”, to make a contactless payment in a stationary vehicle, or when “using the device to park your vehicle remotely”.

Drivers may use devices with hands-free access as long as they do not hold them at any time during usage.