THE number of motorists flouting the law by using mobile phones while driving is rising, police warned this week.

The number of drivers stopped and fined for using phones has increased almost fourfold over the same period last year in South Worcestershire.

At the same time, police have also expressed concern over the number of drivers and front seat passengers failing to wear seatbelts - the number caught more than doubled over the same period..

The figures for April showed that 135 people were fined this year as opposed to 37 in 2004. In May, the figure rose from 34 last year to 145 last month.

Seat belt offences in May more than doubled from 125 in May last year to 334 last month.

Police spokesman Richard Bull said: "Motorists using mobile phones are known to be a major contributor to collisions and, therefore, are a key focus for us in terms of reducing careless and dangerous driving.

"We will no longer be giving anyone a warning if we catch them doing this. Everyone will receive an automatic fixed penalty ticket of £30."

He added: "We also take the flouting of seat belt regulations extremely seriously as these often result in drivers and passengers being far more seriously injured than would have been the case had belts been correctly worn.

"Additionally, while there is no strictly traceable link between mobile phone offences and seat belt offences, some incidents caused by the first can be compounded by the second."

He also warned that anyone sitting using a phone in a stationary car with the engine switched on was still committing an offence even if they applied the handbrake. "Some people think they are safe, but they are not and they will be fined if we catch them," he said.