POLICE have praised those who reported suspected drink drivers over the Christmas period.
A total of 32 drivers were arrested on suspicion of drink driving – nine of them following a crash – and seven on suspicion of drug driving between December 18 and 31.
They included motorists carrying young children as passengers, and people whose passengers were hospitalised after a collision.
It is a drop on the same period a year previously, when 79 people were arrested.
Insp Jem Mountford said: “This campaign is important because a quarter of all deaths on roads can be directly attributed to drink or drugs.
“It is encouraging that the number of drink drivers arrested does not appear to have increased, but there is still more work to do.
“We would like to thank members of the public who reported suspected drink drivers to us over the Christmas period. Several arrests were made as a result.
“We are also grateful to members of the public who recorded footage or stayed with suspected drink drivers until officers arrived.”