MORE than 140 drivers were arrested by police for drink and drug offences over the festive season.
At the beginning of December, Northumbria Police pledged their support to the annual Christmas Drink and Drug Driving Campaign led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
And while this winter, coronavirus restrictions led to a dramatic fall in the number of vehicles on the road compared to previous years, motor patrols officers, the Operation Dragoon team and the Firearms Support Unit (FSU) continued to be deployed across the region to stop those suspected of driving under the influence.
The campaign concluded on Saturday, January 2, and the force has now revealed 146 people were arrested for drink and drug drive offences. Among those arrested was one man who blew a reading of 156 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath – more than four times the legal limit of 35 micrograms.