NEW regulations come into force today making it illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving.

Motorists will receive a fixed-penalty fine of £30 for breaking the new hand-held law, but could face a fine of up to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

But while most police forces in England and Wales say motorists can expect two months' "grace" before fines are enforced, Gwent Police are allowing just two weeks.

Inspector Steve Corcoran, of Gwent Police's Road Policing Unit, said: "For the first two weeks after the legislation comes in, Gwent Police will have a policy of advising drivers as opposed to prosecuting them for the offence.

"We accept this is quite a large problem in society and we want to give everyone the opportunity to be aware. After two weeks, we will be enforcing the law."

Elsewhere officers have been told to generally give verbal warnings until February, a concession "to assist in the education of drivers", the Association of Chief Police Officers said.

But police in Scotland say they will prosecute from day one.

It will not be an offence to use a mobile phone if it is in a proper hands-free cradle attached to the car.

While welcoming the law, a number of organisations want to see the government also ban hands-free mobiles.

One critic is road safety charity Brake which believes some companies are exploiting the ban to promote hands-free models. Brake's chief executive, Mary Williams said: "It is immoral to use the hand-held phone ban as a marketing opportunity for hands-free kits.

"The use of hands-free kits while driving may not be illegal yet, but they certainly do not make driving any safer. The message is simple, never make or take a call, you could take a life."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents also believes the new legislation "does not go far enough".

And last week, tests conducted by the AA Motoring Trust showed that drivers using mobiles were four times more likely to have an accident even if they were using hands-free devices.