THE number of motorists caught drink-

driving over the festive period increased by a third, police revealed today.

Despite repeated police warnings, figures show more people risked their lives and others by drinking before they got behind the wheel.

During the Sussex Police Don't Drink and Drive campaign, officers stopped 266 motorists, with 25 proving positive - a total of 9.4 per cent.

Last year police carried out 483 breath tests with 31 proving positive - a total of 6.42 per cent.The figures are based on the number of motorists stopped at the scene of road traffic crashes and given breath tests between December 1, 1999 and January 2, 2000.

But Sussex police believe the figures have risen because of a campaign to target areas where a minority of hardened drinkers break the law.

Insp Andy Rooke, of Sussex Police traffic division, said it was important to recognise the number of crashes in Sussex had fallen and the new figures should be looked at alongside others revealing better news.

Insp Rooke said: "These figures have to be taken in context. The number of crashes went down last year by almost half.

"There are a small minority who are hardened drinkers and no matter what anyone says or does, they don't pay any attention and carry on drinking regardless.

"This year we had a policy of targeted areas where offenders

would be and the figures reflect this and are higher because of the policy.

"Areas like remote village railway stations, where people travelled back from London after a session drinking and then got into their cars, were targeted."

Statistics also show the figures were halved from the year before last when officers breath tested 306 motorists in the year 1997-1998, with 13.4 per cent of them positive.

Insp Rooke said: "We will be making sure all the people we caught will be prosecuted and put before a court - where the penalty for someone who has been drinking and driving is a mandatory ban.

"The actual patterns of travel were very different this year because of the millennium, so these figures should be taken as a one-off.

"There were exceptional circumstances with the whole millennium experience.

"Many people used public transport to get to where they wanted to celebrate."

Insp Rooke added: "We obviously find it disappointing that we have any positive breath tests. But we will continue to carry out breath tests all year round.

"Over the next few weeks we will be holding meetings to discuss the figures and see if any improvements can be made to next year's campaign.

"The figures show the majority of people have taken our advice and have not been involved in drinking and driving.

"But unfortunately, there are always going to be offenders."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.