A TOP cop caught driving while using a mobile phone has been issued with six penalty points and £200 fine after The Northern Echo received footage of his offending.

The move comes after Superintendent Mark Thornton, until recently head of the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit – which was featured in the hugely popular Police Interceptors programme – was filmed driving his personal car away from Cleveland Police headquarters.

According to the eyewitness who filmed the incident, the route taken by the officer took him past two schools, Ingleby Manor, first and then Ingleby Mill Primary School, at a time when children would have been out of school.

Today Assistant Chief Constable Jason Harwin said the officer had accepted a fixed penalty notice but an investigation is still being carried out by the force into his behaviour.

He said: “In accordance with legislation, Superintendent Mark Thornton has been issued with a fixed penalty notice. The normal administrative process will lead to an offer to him of going to court or accepting a fine of £200 and six points on his licence.

“As he made clear in his statement yesterday, Superintendent Thornton continues to be very sorry for his actions, not because of the impact on him personally but because of those he feels he’s let down. He fully accepts what he’s done and has stated his willingness to accept the consequences.

“The matter is still currently being considered by the Force.”

And a road safety charity has welcomed the officer's apology but say police should lead by example.

Jason Wakeford, spokesman for Brake, said: "Illegal mobile phone use at the wheel is a growing menace and a major threat to lives on our roads.

"The police have to lead by example and so it's disappointing to hear of this incident. We note Superintendent Mark Thornton has apologised for his actions and we urge Cleveland Police to now conduct a full investigation.

"Research shows that using a phone behind the wheel affects reaction times as much as drink driving, increasing the chances of a deadly crash. Brake urges motorists to put mobiles on silent and out of reach when in the car, to stay focused on the road."

When the offence came to light Supt Thornton accepted his behaviour was unacceptable.

He said: “As a serving police officer I’m more aware than most of the potentially devastating consequences of driving whilst distracted. This is no small thing and the consequences for pedestrians and other roads users can be fatal, which is why we have recently seen changes to the law increasing penalty points and fines for driving while using a mobile phone."