A DORSET Police special constable who was involved in a fatal road crash while talking on her mobile phone has resigned.

Collette Carpenter was involved in a conversation with her partner when her Peugeot 206 collided with motorcyclist David Bartholomew from Bere Regis.

An inquest heard Miss Carpenter, formerly of Colehill, denied using her phone during the journey but later admitted she had used it throughout the entire journey on loudspeaker, positioned on her lap. Details of the case were submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service which decided not to prosecute after the collision on the A31 Ferndown bypass on March 20 last year.

It said while evidence showed she was using her phone while driving, there was no evidence she was holding it at the time of the collision. The CPS added there was “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction”.

It has now been revealed that Miss Carpenter, who had continued to work as a volunteer special constable for Dorset Police, has resigned.

In a statement, the force said: “Dorset Police can confirm that the special constable involved in this incident has resigned. We have nothing further to say.”

The decision not to prosecute Miss Carpenter angered Mr Bartholomew’s children James and Charlotte and his partner Lindsey Witcombe.

Speaking about the resignation, Lindsey said: “We are reassured to hear that Collette Carpenter has resigned from being a special constable with immediate effect.

“We understand her records will be marked and if there is any attempt in the future to gain entry into the force her dishonesty will be flagged up because she has fallen well short of the standards required to maintain public confidence.”

A DORSET MP says he will be writing to the attorney general about the Carpenter case. Chris Chope, MP for Christchurch, is to take up the issue of why she was not prosecuted for using a hand-held device while driving.

The legislation states that the use of a hand-held phone or similar hand-held device while driving is prohibited.

It describes a hand-held device as something that “is or must be held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive function”.