North Yorkshire Police has said the “entirely avoidable” death of a Ripon man caused by an Amazon delivery driver on Snapchat shouold serve as a warning to motorists not to use their phones.

Daniaal Iqbal, 23, was jailed for three-and-a-half years at York Crown Court yesterday after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was running out of fuel and texting on Snapchat when he killed biker Peter Rushforth, 56, on on Kirkby Road near Ripon in September 2019.

Iqbal, of Toller Lane, Bradford, was on the second day of his new Amazon delivery job,

Speaking about the sentence handed to Iqbal, Detective Sergeant Kirsten Aldridge of North Yorkshire Police’s major collision investigation team, said;

“From the seconds after the collision which killed Mr Rushforth, Iqbal denied any responsibility for the collision – categorically stating he was not using his phone. However, our experienced digital forensic investigators found unquestionable evidence to challenge Daniaal Iqbal’s claims.

“This is yet another fatal collision caused by a driver who refused to listen to the warnings about the risk of using a mobile while driving and chose to blatantly disregard the law. Very sadly it’s Peter Rushforth who has paid the price for Daniaal Iqbal’s poor decision-making. To lose someone in a traffic collision is devastating. But to know that it was entirely avoidable and was caused by someone who believed sending a message was more important than their safety is galling.

“I hope the sentence handed to Daniaal Iqbal makes those drivers who may take that chance and use their mobile behind the wheel just stop and think for a moment. When you’re driving, please put your phone away – another person’s life could depend on it.”

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Mobile phone signal in Harrogate will get an upgrade if an application to install 5G masts on Harlow Hill’s Edwardian water tower is successful.

Plans have been submitted by telecommunications firm Cornerstone to add new 5G antennas to the water tower. They would be operated by Telefonica and Vodafone.

5G is the next generation of mobile internet connection and offers up to 20 times faster speeds than 4G.

But Harrogate is currently poorly served by the technology, as shown by the map below.

Mobile phone coverage in Harrogate. Credit – NPERF

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Four existing antennas would be removed and replaced with three antennas that would reach a slightly taller top height of 21.65 metres. They would also improve 4G coverage in the area.

There have been concerns that 5G poses health risks but the government has said exposure to the radio waves has no consequences for public health.

Cornerstone said:

“The case for 5G is compelling as it will bring faster, more responsive, and reliable connections than ever before. More than any previous generation of mobile networks, it has the potential to improve the way people live, work and travel.”

Harrogate Borough Council will decide whether to permit the planning application.

Police will be patrolling the Harrogate district’s main roads in a HGV cab as part of a new campaign to catch drivers using mobile phones.

North Yorkshire Police said today it had borrowed the cab to give them a better view to detect mobile phone use and other dangerous behaviour.

The campaign, named Operation Tramline, follows a similar initiative last year that caught a man who took both hands off the wheel to use his phone and a lorry driver who rolled a cigarette.

Highways England, which runs Operation Tramline nationally and owns three unmarked cabs, is loaning the vehicle.

Traffic Constable Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police’s roads policing group, said he had seen people lose their lives because motorists got distracted. He added:

“All drivers on our roads know using a mobile phone while driving is wrong. But nobody thinks they’ll be the driver that causes one of those incidents.

“Catching those offences as they happen, then using enforcement and education is one way we can make our roads safer for everyone.

“Using Highways England’s HGV cab during Op Tramline is an excellent way to do that, as it gives us an unparalleled vantage point.”

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Several other roads policing units also take part in the operation.

If officers in the lorry see an offence taking place, it is recorded by the passenger. Marked units then pull the vehicle over and the driver is dealt with immediately.

The HGV cab loaned to police.

Last year North Yorkshire Police also discovered:

• A tractor driver, who shouldn’t even have been on the motorway, driving whilst using a mobile phone who still had alcohol in his system from drinking the previous night.
• A disqualified driver, driving an overweight van and trailer and using his phone at the same time.
• Drivers of various vehicles seen reading/checking paperwork whilst driving on the motorway.
• Various drivers seen talking on their phones, some completely oblivious to the fact that they were being recorded.

The drivers received fixed penalty notices, which typically include a fine and points on their licence.