Christmas drink driving increase in Grampian

Drink and drug driving offences were up 42% in the Grampian Police area during the Christmas holiday period.

A total of 51 people were caught. In the same period in 2010, 36 people were caught.

The figures cover the first three weeks of Grampian's festive drink and drug driving campaign.

Of those detected, 25% were young drivers in the age group 17-25. The overall total comprised of 43 men and eight women.

Ch Insp Ian Wallace, head of road policing in Grampian, said: "New Year is a social time of year, however drinking and driving is one of the most anti-social activities around.

"Over 50 local drivers have been stopped and taken into custody over this festive period which is far too high a number, given all the advice and warnings we have issued.

"When adding the potentially deadly mix of a drink or drug driver to the icy roads we are now facing, there is the real risk of a serious incident occurring on our roads."