A VAN driver who killed a man while chatting on his mobile phone has been jailed for three years.

It is believed to be the UK's first recorded case of death by dangerous driving involving a mobile phone.

Alan Milbanke, 32, had been talking to a work colleague for nearly two minutes when he lost control of his Mercedes Sprinter van. He ploughed into a car driven by Derek Davies.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Mr Davies, 68, died instantly in the crash, which happened on the B6278 road close to Snods Edge, Northumberland, on April 11 last year.

The narrow stretch of country road is a notorious accident blackspot, known locally as Devil's Dip.

Mr Davies, a retired groom, from Shotley Bridge, had been running a family errand when he died.

His widow Jill said Milbanke had robbed her family of a kind and loving man.

"I would have liked to have seen a sentence of four to five years," she said. "My husband was a careful driver, he had no offences against him. He was coming along that road and his life was just ended for nothing."

Police were able to deduce that Milbanke was on his Nokia phone when the crash happened. They proved that Milbanke's call had ended just 19 seconds before the call to the emergency services.

Prosecutor John Evans told the court last Friday: "There is an irresistible inference at the time the defendant lost control of his vehicle he was using his mobile phone - no doubt with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the mobile telephone."

Father-of-two Milbanke, of Point Pleasant Terrace, Wallsend, North Tyneside, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing in June.

The court heard how Milbanke has suffered from depression and anxiety since the crash. Judge Michael Cartlidge jailed Milbanke for three years and banned him from driving for four years.

Mrs Davies said: "Nobody should use a telephone while driving - its as simple as that."

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 North-East drivers have been issued with a fixed penalty fine of £30 for using a mobile phone since the law changed last December.

Cleveland Police has issued fines to 570 drivers and a further five to provisional licence holders; Northumbria Police 459, and North Yorkshire 350.

Durham Constabulary issue an average of 30 each month. Motorists face fines of up to £1,000 and drivers of goods or passenger-carrying vehicles of up to £2,500.