Employers may be prosecuted and face unlimited fines next year if their staff get caught using a hand held mobile phone while driving.

The government is holding bosses to account after it recvealed motorists face two years in jail for dangerous driving if they are caught using a hand-held mobile at the wheel.

Action will also be taken against individual managers if their workers are caught flouting the law. An employer could also be found to have aided and abetted a member of staff who is prosecuted for using a mobile.

The crackdown is based on the corporate manslaughter and corporate homicide act coming into force last year. Employers now may be forced to pay for handheld kits for staff to avoid possible fines. A prosecution may result in “serious management failure” such as repeatedly phoning employees on the road.