Facing court... for using mow-bile at the wheel!
A GARDENER is facing the chop after he was spotted allegedly using his mobile phone while at the wheel … of his ride-on lawnmower.
The 47- year- old council gardener is accused of taking out his phone while sitting at traffic lights outside a police station. He was then grassed up to officers, who pulled over his green John Deere ride-on lawnmower in Ely, Cardiff.
It is thought the driver could become the first in England and Wales to be fined for using a mobile phone behind the wheel of a lawnmower.
The worker told how he picked up his phone to change the music he had been listening to on his way between grass- cutting jobs. But he was accused of illegally using the phone at the wheel on a public road – even though it was a lawnmower and not a car. He is due to appear in front of magistrates later this month and if found guilty, he could face a £200 fine, six points on his licence or both.
Police were handed dashcam footage of the gardener apparently holding his phone in his left hand as he steered with his right – and with a marked police van on the busy road just yards behind. Cardiff Council confirmed the man was one of their employees and said he would face disciplinary action.
A spokesman said: ‘The council will be following up this matter in line with council policy and procedure.’
Tougher laws which came into force last year mean motorists caught using a phone behind the wheel can face a fine of £200 or six penalty points. Since then, around 1,200 drivers have been disqualified as a result of the heftier punishments.
Neil Smith, of car sales firm Imperial Cars, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Breaking the habit of touching your phone whilst in the driver’s seat can be challenging, especially with the technological advancements that come as standard on most mobile phones, but the risks you impose on both yourself and others when distracted behind the wheel are really not worth it.’