Police arrest 151 in drink driving campaign

Police stepped up patrols to target drink and drug drivers in December

A total of 151 people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving in North Yorkshire in December, police have said.

The first arrest was made just five hours after North Yorkshire Police launched their campaign to crack down on illegal driving over the festive period, on 1 December.

The force said throughout the month, 102 people were arrested for alcohol-related driving offences and 42 were arrested for drug-related driving offences.

Two people were arrested for both drink and drug driving offences and 17 were arrested for failing to provide a specimen at the roadside.

A woman was arrested twice for drink-driving in December, police said

Police said out of those arrested, 77% were men and 23% were women.

The highest reading was a 40-year-old woman who was stopped on Wetherby Road in Harrogate on 5 December, and failed a roadside breath test.

Police said she had 157 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - which is four times the legal limit of 35 micrograms.

She was released on bail, but was arrested again on Christmas Eve when children were present in the car, and she had 89 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The woman was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Harrogate Magistrates Court on 31 January.

Just over 40% of those arrested have been charged and the rest have been released on bail, a spokesman added.

Ch Insp Tom Ibbetson from the Specialist Operations Unit at North Yorkshire Police said: "Although the campaign has drawn to a close for another year, our work is ongoing all year round to tackle drink and drug driving.

"We will be out in force every day this year to target drivers who put themselves and others at risk in this way.

"The message is quite simple, we are not tolerating it and we will be relentless in our pursuit of those who flout the law and put other people's lives at risk."

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