In Dundee, 21 drivers were caught, while six were caught in Angus, and a further half dozen in Perth and Kinross.

Research has shown that drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a crash if they use their mobile phone while driving, and that reaction times can be slowed by as much as 50%.

The man in charge of policing Tayside’s roads, Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, said, “The 33 drivers who were reported represents a significant number of offenders and, once again, makes it very clear to the police that we must continue to do all that we can to encourage motorists to abide by the law.

“There has been significant progress over a number of years in reducing the levels of casualties on our roads — something that has been achieved through a variety of means, including campaigns such as this through which we highlight and enforce legislation.

“This legislation recognises the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving. It is high time all drivers acknowledge this fact too.

“Any road traffic legislation that is designed to improve road safety exists for the benefit of all road users — mobile phone legislation is no exception. Tayside Police will use all legislative powers at its disposal to try to improve safety on our roads.

“Our advice is simple — switch off before you drive off.”

The day of action, which included all police forces across Scotland, ran from 7am yesterday to 7am this morning and included patrols throughout the area.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a driving ban, or a fine of up to £1000 — or £2500 for drivers of buses, coaches and goods vehicles.

Drivers who use hands free devices can also face punishment if they are not in proper control of their vehicle or do not have a full view of the road, and the penalties also apply if the phone user is supervising a learner driver.

Twenty-one motorists in Fife were caught and fined for using their mobile phones yesterday.

Three of those caught are now being reported to the procurator fiscal as they already had nine points on their driving licence and the additional points could lead to disqualification.