A JOURNALIST was stopped and fined on her way to cover a police operation cracking down on motorists using their phones while driving.

The reporter was given a £200 fine and six points on her licence after being caught by police running the sting in Ock Street, Abingdon.

New penalties which came into effect today will also see newly-qualified drivers having their licence revoked for using a mobile at the wheel, while those caught using one twice will face disqualification and fines of up to £1,000.

A total of 11 drivers were stopped as part of the operation.

Police officers flagged down the reporter who was heard saying she was on her way to cover the enforcement of the new laws.

Another journalist at the operation said: “I just thought she had arrived for the job. Then I saw the police go up to her and that was it.”

Channel 5 News journalist Dominic Reynolds tweeted: “Breaking Irony News: a journalist driving here to cover phone/driving crackdown has just been busted: £200, 6pts.”

Freelance journalist Steve Cottrell witnessed the incident.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “The police were pulling people off Ock Street using plain-clothed police spotters to indicate to uniformed officers further down the road (where we were).

"The specific offence being targeted was mobile phone use while driving.

"There were plenty caught, and as the photographers and cameramen filmed them, various reporters asked for comments from the drivers, and variously some responded, most didn’t.

"At one point I overheard a policeman saying that the lady he had just ‘done’ was a member of the press on her way to this very event."