FOOTAGE which is sent to the police showing drivers on their phones in Colchester is not being taken seriously enough by the police, a worried walker has said.

Simon Lane, 57, said he has not been taken seriously by Essex Police when he has filmed drivers breaking the law in Cowdray Avenue.

He argued his actions deter people from committing an offence which could cause a serious collision.

He said: “Pretty much every evening I head up to Waitrose to get some bargains – it’s just for a little walk.

Busy – Cowdray Avenue is used by tens of thousands of drivers every dayBusy – Cowdray Avenue is used by tens of thousands of drivers every day (Image: Newsquest)

“If people are queuing in traffic, they sit on their phones – and when the traffic starts moving again they just continue.

“Then I get all this pushback from the police when I submit the evidence, so I just give up.”

When he contacted the Extra Eyes service, which is part of the police’s Safer Essex Roads Partnership, Mr Lane said he received an email which said his submissions were “not conducive to the aims of the Extra Eyes programme”.

He continued: “I have gone to all the hassle on my phone – I have gone to all the effort, you give it to the police and they don’t seem interested.

“You give up because some of them might get out of their car and beat the crap out of you.”

He added people try and hide the fact they are on their phones at the wheel and said it increases the chances of drivers running red lights at crossings and hitting pedestrians.

Mr Lane, of Cowdray Avenue, continued: “They would sit there in that queue of traffic and people don’t seem to be able to resist the temptation to tap on their phone.

Inaction – Simon Lane said police did not seem interested in the footage he had submittedInaction – Simon Lane said police did not seem interested in the footage he had submitted (Image: Pexels)

“They are only going to get a fine and a few points on their licence if they are caught – their insurance will go up and it will sting a bit.

“But at the end of the day, it is going to stop them from running somebody over.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "We understand it is disappointing when no action has been taken. There are a number reasons why a particular case might not be progressed, described on the Safer Essex Roads website.

"While we can’t process every example of careless driving, the continued support of the public is very much appreciated as without this, none of the drivers committing these offences would be held to account."