POLICE are warning drivers that they will face a 'hefty' fine if they deliberately splash pedestrians on the pavement.

Thames Valley Police in West Oxfordshire today put out a call for motorists to go carefully following a bout of heavy rain overnight and into this morning.

Officers say 'splashing' people by driving through puddles on the road 'is not nice and not funny' and said that anyone caught doing it could be slapped with a public order offence.

They will also be fined. 

Under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence to drive 'without reasonable consideration for other persons', and this includes any instance of 'driving through a puddle causing pedestrians to be splashed'.

The fine is likely to be £100 - but if a driver insists on going to court, they could be hit with a £5,000 penalty if found guilty.