DANGEROUS drivers who put lives at risk by using mobile phones while behind the wheel are being targeted in a major police crackdown.

Officers from Durham and Cleveland police forces plan to reduce the menace which causes fatalities on the roads.

Last year Timothy McLoughlin, of Middlesbrough, was jailed for three years and nine months after he lost control of his Mitsubishi L200 pick-up and killed a cyclist.

The accident occurred when McLoughlin aborted a move to overtake two cars in the face of oncoming traffic, striking 55-year-old Graham Devlin in November 2013.

The Mitsubishi rolled over twice on the A1046 Haverton Hill Road, near Billingham, and hit Mr Devlin, who was on a cycle path.

McLoughlin had sent a short text message 45 seconds before another driver rang 999 to report the tragic accident.

Teesside Crown Court heard it was likely that his use of his mobile phone contributed to the crash.

Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU) officers are to target motorists who use mobile phones to try to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

The campaign which continues all this week aims to educate drivers.

Those caught using a mobile phone while driving will get a £100 fine and have three points endorsed on their licence.

If motorists are taken to court they can be banned from driving and fined £1,000. Bus and lorry drivers face fines of £2,500.

Chief Inspector Alison Jackson, of the CDSOU, said: “Driving any vehicle requires and deserves your full attention.

“To do anything else puts your life, the lives of any passengers and other road users at risk.

“You could become involved in a serious or even fatal collision as a result of your poor judgment.

“Our officers will be making this offence a priority and will stop anyone they see either using a mobile phone, or for some other reason not having full control of their driving.”

Police figures show that between January 1 and December 31 last year, 891 drivers were issued with fixed penalty tickets for using a mobile phone at the wheel across the Cleveland and Durham force areas.

Details on the campaign will be updated on the Cleveland and Durham Police’s Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.