Police found a three-year-old boy in the footwell of a car after stopping a driver for speeding.

Officers from Dorset Police's No Excuse team said they stopped the car which had been travelling "at speed" in Gillingham, north Dorset, when they found the boy in the footwell. A passenger in the car told police she was changing his nappy.

In another incident, police stopped another driver who was seen taking his jumper off while his young passenger steered the wheel.

The dedicated No Excuse team are aiming to crack down on bad and dangerous driving by motorists in Dorset.

Officers wore plain clothes and carried out operations in unmarked cars in Weymouth and north Dorset last week. This was primarily to tackle people using their phone at the wheel, however officers also spotted other drivers carrying out reckless behaviour while in control of their vehicle.

A total of 27 motorists were stopped in two days for using a mobile phone whilst driving.

In Weymouth, the team detected eight mobile phone offences, ranging from phone calls to text messaging and even checking social media. In Gillingham, officers stopped drivers for 19 offences.

A spokesman for the No Excuse team said: "The excuses range from 'it was a quick call are you seriously giving me six points?' to a driver who said 'but i never break the law, I work, I don't drink, how is this fair?'

"The team recognise that drivers using a mobile phone whilst driving has reduced, however some drivers are still risking their lives and the lives of others by using a mobile phone whilst driving. This is a selfish act that is putting lives at risk."

Police said two drug drivers and two drink drivers were also arrested in the operation. They were released under investigation while awaiting blood results.

The 'No Excuse' approach launched in 2010 with aims to help reduce the number of casualties on Dorset's roads. The initiative aims to change driver and rider attitudes by targeting the 'fatal five' most risky behaviours - excess speed, failure to wear seatbelts, driving using a hand-held phone, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and careless and inconsiderate driving.

As part of its work the team also launched 'Operation Dragoon' in 2016, an attempt to prevent prolific road offenders from causing serious injuries and fatalities on roads throughout the county.