99 drivers arrested over Christmas

Police say 21 were held in connection with drug driving offences in Leicestershire, a huge increase from 2016.

Leicestershire Police arrested 99 people for being unfit to drive during its recent "drink drug drive" campaign over Christmas. That the equivalent of almost a 50% increase on December 2016 when 50 arrests were made. 

21 people were arrested for drug driving in 2017. In 2016, four suspected drug drivers were arrested. 

35 of the arrests were made following a road traffic collision.

33 of the arrested drivers were aged 25 or under.

21 of the arrests were made in Charnwood, 12 in North West Leicestershire and 9 in Hinckley and Bosworth. The rest were in the city. 

The highest road side breath tests was 141, over four times the legal limit

Jonathan Clarkson, spokesperson for the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership said, “The number of arrests is significantly up on December 2016, when we saw 50 people arrested, including 46 drink and 4 drug. What is particularly alarming is number of younger drivers, thirty three in total, who chose to put themselves at risk, that’s a third of the overall arrests, equally concerning is the increase in the number of drug drivers being detained, over twenty in this case.”

“Although our seasonal campaign has come to an end Officers will continue patrolling across the Leicestershire Police force area in order to make our roads safer, including our towns, villages and rural areas, if you choose to drink drug drive you will get caught.”