Phone-using motorist brands police ‘tax collectors for the state’ when stopped

A van driver caught by police using his mobile phone branded the officers, ‘tax collectors for the state’ when he was caught.

It happened on the M1 this morning, when officers from the Mahon Road police station observed the vehicle veering towards the hard shoulder.

When police pulled alongside the van, they saw the driver was holding a phone in his hand, with a video playing on it while he was driving.

When stopped, he told police they were just ‘tax collectors for the state’, before being issued with a £205 penalty notice and six penalty points on his licence.

In a post on Facebook by NI Road Policing and Safety, a spokesperson said: “A useful tip to avoid paying this ‘tax’, and to make everyone’s journey safer, is to leave the phone alone while driving.”