Crime deputy given ‘lecture’ after using mobile phone while driving

Paul Robinson, deputy commissioner of Humberside Police, was seen talking on his phone as he approached a toll booth on the Humber Bridge on Thursday, November 29.

The offence was not witnessed by police but was reported.

Mr Robinson was not appointed deputy until the following month but was on his way to a meeting with a divisional police commander on the south bank of the Humber. It is not clear in what capacity.

He has apologised and said he had just acted ‘instinctively”.

“I was driving to the toll booth on the Humber Bridge in my wife’s car, which does not have Bluetooth (wireless technology). The phone rang and I just instinctively picked it up.

“The police didn’t catch me; it was reported to the police. It was wrong and I shouldn’t have done it. What I did was wrong and I admitted it was wrong.”

He added: “It was dealt with in the correct manner, I didn’t receive any special treatment. I basically got a lecture on the dangers of answering the phone. I wouldn’t normally have done it because I’ve got Bluetooth in my own vehicle.”

Mr Robinson’s appointment as deputy has been mired in controversy. The Humberside police and crime panel set up to monitor the commissioner opposed his appointment by eight votes to one but was overruled by the elected commissioner, Matthew Grove.

The appointment drew allegations of “cronyism” and calls for Mr Robinson to resign his council seat – he intends to see out his term as East Riding councillor for Howdenshire, while working four days a week as deputy commissioner on a salary of £45,000.

Mr Grove is a fellow East Riding Conservative councillor but has announced his intention to resign his seat shortly.

Pressure on Mr Robinson over the issue is expected to mount on Wednesday when a motion is tabled at the council which calls the deputy’s role “incompatible” with that of councillor.