Case Dismissed.

So, "A Tory MSP has been cleared of using a mobile phone while driving through north east Fife on 7 May this year. Ted Brocklebank's solicitor argued that there was no evidence to suggest the devise he was looking at had been sending or receiving communications."

Carnegie always thought it was standard practice in these cases for the police to get a copy of the accused's mobile phone records to prove conclusively whether or not they had been using the phone when an offence was detected. They obviously didn't do that in Mr Brocklebank's case. Lucky for him. Bit of an oversight by the cops though.

If Mr Brocklebank had been found guilty though it would have made the headlines on the front page of one of his leaflets from his election campaign in 2003 look very ironic. Not so much the "Lab-Lib Criminal Record," as one of his own.

Hands free.

Fresh from disclosures last week that the UK Government's Immigration Minister Liam Byrne MP plead guilt to using his mobile phone whilst driving, Carnegie notes that Fife Conservative Regional MSP Ted Brocklebank is apparently also due to appear in court on charges related to doing exactly the same thing.

"MID-SCOTLAND and Fife MSP Ted Brocklebank is facing court proceedings over alleged use of a mobile telephone while driving ... the MSP, who lives in St Andrews, has been charged by police following an alleged incident in north-east Fife. The case has been called on the roll at Cupar District Court and Mr Brocklebank tendered a not guilty plea by letter to a charge alleging that he committed the offence on May 7 this year at Guardbridge. The trial will not take place until next year."

Carnegie is reminded that Mr Brocklebank spent a lot of time during the Scottish Parliament's last session pursuing the health risks around the location of mobile phone masts so it is ironic that he will find himself in court having to defend his own apparent driving related mobiole phone useage. It's clearly not just the masts that are the only dangerous thing associated with mobile phones.