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Op Holly - drink and drug drive arrests up 15 percent on last year

Press Releases

Published: 13/12/2011


Drink and drug drive arrests are up 15.4 per cent on last year, figures from the first 11 days of Hampshire Constabulary’s campaign, Op Holly, show.

Since the launch on December 1, officers have arrested 90 people – 77 male [85.6 per cent] and 13 female [14.4 per cent] – compared to 78 arrests last year.

Of the 90 people arrested, 65 [72.2 per cent] have been charged, 14 have been bailed pending further enquiries and 11 have been released with no further action.

The greatest number of arrests so far have been in the North and East of Hampshire with 28, while the Isle of Wight has the lowest number of arrests, eight, followed by Portsmouth, nine. In central Hampshire, including Fareham and Gosport, there have been 20 arrests, while 11 people have been arrested in Southampton and 14 in the New Forest, Eastleigh and Test Valley area.

PC Mark Clarke of Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “These results are bitter-sweet because, while we are identifying and arresting more suspected drink drivers this year, it shows that people just aren’t getting the message not to drink and drive.

“Drink driving ruins lives. It kills, it maims, it’s the reason relationships break down and jobs are lost. So why are people still getting behind the wheel?

“You are not invincible. You are an accident waiting to happen. Alcohol is not more important than a safe journey home, it’s not more important than the lives of your passengers, than you, and it’s not more important than the people walking home in your path.

“You don’t have to be driving erratically for us to pull you over. This year we are carrying out checks on people of all ages and if you are found to be drink driving you will be arrested, be banned from driving, face a hefty fine and you’ll have a criminal record – and that’s only if you don’t kill somebody.”

Hampshire Constabulary is asking members of the public across the two counties to text 80999 to report anyone they suspect of drink driving or being drug impaired behind the wheel. 

The information will be received anonymously, and senders simply need to text the precise location where the driver was last seen, direction of travel if possible, and as many vehicle details as possible – most importantly the number plate.

The number is a text-only service, and will not take phone calls but anyone witnessing a drink drive offence in progress can call 999.

To get the very latest progress and information on Operation Holly follow @HantsPolice or @HantspolRoads on Twitter or check out our Hampshire Constabulary Facebook page.

 


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