POLICE have launched an investigation after a couple claimed to have photographed TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson on his mobile phone while driving.

Adam Blake, 22, and Hayley Byford, 21, say they saw Mr Clarkson, who lives near Chipping Norton, on the phone as he travelled at 70mph in a 6.3-litre, green, V8 600 Grosser Mercedes on the M40 on Friday.

Mr Blake told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We could not believe that we'd caught him out. I used to watch him every week on Top Gear and he was always banging on about the new driving laws.

"My girlfriend saw he was on his mobile. She grabbed hers and took a picture of him."

The newspaper claimed it later confronted Mr Clarkson at his Chipping Norton home, where he first denied being in the car and, on seeing the picture, said: "Er, that isn't a phone."

David Staines, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said: "I can confirm that Thames Valley Police have been passed copies of the photographs that appeared in today's Daily Mirror, and will look into the matter."

Mr Clarkson's wife Frances directed The Oxford Times to the BBC's Top Gear programme for a comment.

BBC TV spokesman Tara Davies said: "This was not a BBC matter and Jeremy has not asked us to make any comment on his behalf."

Jo Stagg, a spokesman for road safety group Rospa, said: "Our message to all drivers, whether they are in the public eye or not, is to switch off their mobile phones when they are behind the wheel and let voicemail do its job.

"Using a mobile phone while driving, whether handheld or handsfree, makes drivers four times more likely to crash because of the distraction caused by the phone conversation."

Drivers caught using mobile phones at the wheel face three points on their licence and a £60 fine.

If drivers contest their fixed penalty notice in court they could face a driving ban and a maximum fine of £1,000 for car drivers and £2,500 for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.

Drivers could also be charged with careless driving and last year, the Crown Prosecution Service said a dangerous driving charge could be brought if a driver was dangerously distracted by use of a handheld mobile phone.

In September, Henley MP Boris Johnson was photographed by the Sunday Mirror driving and talking on his mobile phone.

Supt Mick Doyle, head of Thames Valley Police roads policing, said: "We know that using a mobile phone while driving is extremely dangerous.

"It has the same effect on a person's ability to drive as being just over the legal limit for drink driving.

"To use a mobile phone while driving at any time is dangerous, and at high speed on a motorway, it is simply stupid "If we had evidence that we thought could be supported in court, we would take action."