SCORES of motorists have been caught drink-driving across North Yorkshire in the run-up to Christmas.
And some of them were three or even four times over the limit, barely capable of standing upright or getting in or out of their cars.
Police revealed today that 76 people have been charged with drink-driving offences since the county's Christmas campaign got under way on December 4.
Twenty-six were caught in the Eastern Division, which includes Malton and Scarborough, 27 in the Western Division, which covers Harrogate, and 23 in the Central Division, which includes York, Selby and Tadcaster.
Traffic policeman Sergeant Mick Crome said the Central figure was double the average for the period, and appeared to show there was still a hard core of drivers drinking heavily, despite claims that drink-driving was now generally viewed as socially unacceptable.
Some arrests had been made after tip-offs from members of the public disgusted after seeing blatantly drunk people getting in their cars. "Some members of the public who would not normally make calls to the police were calling, saying: 'This is ridiculous'," he said.
Updated: 10:18 Monday, December 24, 2001
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