OVER 80 motorists were arrested for drink driving in the annual Christmas campaign by police.

A total of 2,240 people in Gloucestershire were asked to provide breath samples in December, 85 of whom tested positive or refused to give a sample, which was 3.7 per cent of those tested.

This was slightly lower than last year when 111 drivers tested positive out of 2,452 breathalysed, or 4.5 per cent.

Inspector Charlie Laporte, from Gloucestershire's road policing unit, said: "On the one hand we are very disappointed that 85 drivers chose to ignore the vast amount of publicity given to reducing drink driving and put their own lives and the lives of others at risk in such a reckless manner.

"However, we also feel a certain sense of pride that we have now prevented such a large number of dangerous and irresponsible drivers from using the county's roads, thereby making them safer for the majority of sensible road users.

"While we did not carry out as many breath tests this year as last, we targeted our resources more effectively and this obviously paid off."

Nationally drink drive figures during the campaign dropped nearly 20 per cent on last year's figures.

Police forces across the country breath tested 155,216 motorists and of those 7,774 tested positive or refused to take the test.