A CATALOGUE of arrests for drink and drug driving have been made as North Yorkshire police battle to clamp down on people who think they won't get caught.

And they warn there are more pop up operations planned over the summer to deter people who have been drinking and taking drugs from getting behind the wheel.

In the past few days traffic officers launched operations to take drink drivers off the roads. Sergeant Tim Wilson said they are constantly on the lookout for drink and drug drivers but they had run a targeted operation at several locations around the county.

Results included:

  • A man who blew more than three times the legal limit after he decided to drive home from Seamer station towards Scarborough. Police believe he'd been drinking all day. He was arrested and charged and is due in court soon.
  • A suspected drunk driver failed to stop for police in a car believed to have been taken without the owners consent. He was arrested on suspicion of taking the car without the owners consent, and drink driving at more than twice the limit.
  • A man seen driving erratically by CCTV operators in York city centre was located by Roads Policing Group officers, arrested and taken into custody where he was found to be almost twice the drink drive limit.
  • A driver seen leaving a pub car park between Pickering and Scarborough. He said he couldn’t get a taxi so he decided to drive home. He was arrested and charged with being around one-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit. He is due to appear in court shortly.

Sgt Wilson added: "We work round the clock to catch drink and drug drivers. We'll also be carrying out more pop-up operations like this throughout the summer and beyond. We’re always out looking for drink drivers and I hope operations like this discourage people from making those bad decisions in the first place."

There is mounting concern that with the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions and more social gatherings, more people will be tempted to drink and drive, or drive after taking drugs.

Members of the public who believe someone is driving after drinking or taking drugs can contact the police through 101, selecting option one or if it is an emergency by ringing 999.