Dashcam footage can now be used to prosecute drivers, police reveal

It comes as the force prepares to invite people to submit mobile phone footage of offences committed on the roads.

As part of Operation Top Deck, passengers on buses will be encouraged to send in clips taken on their phones.

And speaking at a policing and crime board meeting on Tuesday, Superintendent Dean Hatton said dashcam footage would also be considered.

Supt Hatton, head of Central Motorway Police Group and West Midlands Police Roads Policing, said: "We'd have to assess the quality of the imagery and there are evidential concerns around it to make sure we meet the threshold for Crown Prosecution Service, but yes, in terms of if someone submitted data, and its happening now in terms of the push bikes, we will prosecute where we can."

Bicycle riders are already submitting helmet camera footage of offences.

Expanding this to bus passengers will take place soon, with the force to issue an appeal to the public in the coming weeks.

Supt Hatton said: "The next thing we're going to do is to look at the mobile phone footage.

"The public are concerned about it and there are occasions where we have all seen people using mobile phones while they're at the wheel and we've been in a position to lawfully record that offence and so we're trying to service the desire of that in terms of the public demand.

"We are a few weeks away from when we get it going, going to publish through our website. We will run assessments of quality of images and demand.

"It's fair to say we are surrounded by digital imagery and we're looking for ways to innovate and service that public demand."

The move was welcomed by board member Brendan Connor.

He said: "It's quite a powerful deterrent tool and something the public will have wanted for sometime."

Over the past 12 months, 1,251 motorists were caught using their mobile phones in the West Midlands. Motorists face a fine of £200 and six penalty points.