A SELF employed gas engineer from Great Yarmouth has ended up with a �885 bill after he was caught in his white van using a mobile phone at a roundabout.

Aaron Bowers, 27, of Queen’s Road, was convicted in his absence today of using a mobile phone while driving at the roundabout at Lowestoft’s Belvedere Road on April 13.

His trial at Lowestoft Magistrates’ Court heard Bowers was seen by police using the phone in a Renault van as officers carried out static checks at about 10.20am.

PC James McNee told the bench: “The driver of the van had a mobile phone held in his hand just above the steering column of the steering wheel and appeared to me to be using the phone.

“I had a good view.”

Bowers had originally denied the offence to police and at an earlier hearing but failed to attend yesterday morning’s trial.

The court heard he earned �500 as a self employed gas engineer.

After finding him guilty magistrates fined him �250 and ordered him to pay the prosecution costs of �620 and a �15 surcharge - making a total of �885.

Bowers was also given three points on his driving licence.