Seven car crashes in Cambridgeshire were caused by drivers on their mobile phones last year, figures have revealed.

Figures from the Department for Transport found that 53 crashes were caused in the east of England in 2015 because of motorists using their phones while at the wheel.

That included seven in Cambridgeshire, eight in Norfolk and three in Suffolk.

Superintendent Kris Barnard, head of the Norfolk and Suffolk roads policing unit, said: “If drivers are looking down at their phone they will be much less aware of what’s happening on the road around them; they’re more likely to tailgate the vehicle in front, fail to stay in the correct lane and be less aware of road signs are traffic lights.

“I would urge people who think it’s acceptable to do this behind the wheel to imagine if one of their relatives or friends was seriously injured or even killed in a collision where the driver at fault was using a mobile phone.

“What would their feelings be towards that driver…I can’t for second imagine they would be favourable or think that it’s acceptable.”