Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to terminate his wife using her mobile phone while driving after she was caught apparently breaking a law backed by her husband.

Swift action: Arnie will lay the law down

Photos have emerged showing Maria Shriver holding the phone to her ear while she was behind the wheel.

The pictures suggest she is breaking the law that took effect last July requires all California drivers to use a handsfree device when talking on mobile phones.

But Governor Schwarzenegger vowed to ensure it would not happen again. On his Twitter feed, the former Terminator star said: “Thanks for bringing her violations to my attention. There's going to be swift action.”

Celebrity website TMZ.com posted two photographs showing Ms Shriver holding a phone to her ear while she was behind the wheel. It said one was snapped on Sunday and the other in July.
The website later added a video it said was shot on Tuesday in Brentwood, where the Schwarzenegger family lives.

It shows Shriver holding a mobile phone to her ear while driving a large sport utility vehicle. She then puts the phone down while the camera is rolling.

Although the California first lady's office refused to comment, her husband's spokesman Aaron McLear said that by “swift action” Arnie meant he would ask his wife not to hold the phone while driving.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law legislation that passed in the California Assembly in 2006 which brought the state into line with New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington.

Drivers who are spotted by police holding a mobile phone to their ear face fines of at least £12.50 for the first ticket and £31 for subsequent tickets, plus additional fees.

Since then, the California Highway Patrol has issued more than 150,000 citations.