Lorry drivers snapped eating, reading and using mobile

A driver was photographed eating his lunch while on the M20 in Kent

Lorry drivers have been photographed on England's roads eating, reading and using a phone while behind the wheel.

Four drivers were photographed on the M20 near Ashford in Kent.

Two were reading, one was holding cutlery and a food container and another appeared to be steering with his elbows.

Road safety campaigners Brake branded the images as "shocking" while the AA said the consequences of such behaviour could be "dire".

Surrey Police said they spotted one driver using the app Snapchat.

Another was photographed looking at a piece of paper while travelling on the M4 in Swindon and another was snapped on his mobile phone near junction 46 of M1 in Yorkshire.

This driver was spotted looking at a piece of paper as he drove on the M4 near Swindon

A driver was snapped using his mobile phone while driving on the M1 in Yorkshire

Jason Wakeford, from Brake, said: "These are shocking images showing drivers with a total disregard for the safety of other road users."

Police forces across the country have been using unmarked vehicles to take pictures.

PC Dan Pascoe of Surrey Police said the force's lorry had been "invaluable", with 26 people caught on one day so far this month.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the risks associated with drivers using phones are "very clear".

'Harder to spot'

The Department for Transport said anyone who is distracted can be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving.

Edmund King from the AA, said some lorry drivers get bored, particularly on motorways.

"I think some feel that because they are high up in the cab it is harder to spot them."

He said the consequences of the driver of a 44-tonne lorry being distracted for a second or two could be "absolutely dire".

Tomasz Kroker was jailed for 10 years last year after killing a woman and three children when his lorry ploughed into their stationary car on the A34 near Newbury, Berkshire, while he was distracted by his phone.