POLICE in Gloucestershire arrested 46 motorists for drink-driving during their annual Christmas campaign.

Between Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, January 2, some 2,034 breath tests were administered. Seventy-nine were administered at the scene of collisions, with seven positive breath tests being given as a result.

In the Cotswold and Stroud division 170 tests were administered and nine either provided a positive test or failed to provide a specimen.

Insp John Pickersgill said: "It is always disappointing for us to arrest anyone for drink-driving as obviously we would have hoped that by now people would heed the anti-drink-drive message.

"Having said that, these figures are encouraging in a way as we carried out more breath tests this year than last during this two-week period - 2,034 as opposed to 2,012 and we arrested fewer people.

"This year two per cent of motorists breathlysed between December 18 and January 2 either gave a positive breath test or refused to provide a specimen, and last year four per cent of those breathlysed during the period gave a positive test or refused to co-operate.

"This does give us some hope that the message may be getting through to more people.

"Of course this still means that 46 people were behaving irresponsibly in the county over Christmas and New Year, and seven of them were involved in collisions.

"They will now face losing their licences and will get their just desserts for having put their own lives, and most importantly, the lives of others at risk."

Garry Handley, road safety team leader for Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Halving the number of positive tests is a great achievement and society's thanks must go to the sensible safe drivers over this Christmas period.

"I would like to remind drivers that the irresponsibility of drinking and driving is not a seasonal problem.

"It is a very serious road safety issue every single day of the year, this could result in about ten people being killed every week in Great Britain during 2005 in alcohol-related collisions unless driver attitudes and behaviour changes.

"Let's hope that drivers take on a New Year's resolution of separating their drinking from their driving by adopting a personal zero limit."