SCORES of motorists have fallen foul of a police force’s festive focus on substance or alcohol affected driving.

More than 140 motorists were arrested by Northumbria Police for either drink or drug driving.

The force pledged support to the annual Christmas Drink and Drug Driving Campaign, led by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), last month.

Forces across the country take part in a festive crackdown on motorists under the influence of drink or drugs.

Motor patrols officers were deployed across the region to carry out road-side stops to test drivers.

The campaign ran throughout December to January 1 and led to 149 people being arrested, 133 for drink driving while 16 arrests were on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

Those figures remain at a similar level to previous campaigns as 138 people were arrested over the same period in 2016, rising to 150 last year.

Sergeant Matt Sykes leads the Operation Dragoon team, which plays an important role educating the public on staying safe on the road.

He said: “This year’s campaign was a success, but I will never be happy to see so many people continuing to get behind the wheel while under the influence.

“Those people who do take the risks clearly don’t think about the families of those people who have died at the hands of a driver who is on drugs or drunk.”